Hiro's Duty
by kiwiinama-chan
Summary: It's real epic, and you need to read this. San Fransokyo's overrun with Cybugs and Hiro and Vanellope and Tadashi and everybody else gotta survive. Then Hiro wants to exterminate the Cybugs. Cool, right? Seriously. Give this a go. If you don't like it, hey, that's cool with me. Tadashi/Honey Lemon Francis/Candlehead (Vaniro is kinda meh not really but it's up to you guys)
1. Prologue

0

Screams. Gunshots. Mechanical bugs. Those were the first things he remembered. He felt like he couldn't remember anything else. It all played vividly in his head, as if it happened yesterday, tormenting him relentlessly.

The sun was shining, beating down on their backs, and the air was hot and muggy. It had been his turn to carry the eggs, fair and square, but he was still going to gripe about it. Tadashi got to carry everything else. But he had to carry the eggs. They both hated it, knowing that the flimsy carton wouldn't shield the thin shells from cracking, so if either of them jostled too much, Aunt Cass would freak. Tadashi had just said something funny, making him laugh, but when his chuckle left his lips, a shrill scream pierced the air. Both of them froze. Other screams and frightened whimpers were joining in, the people around them getting anxious. Then, the giant mechanical bugs emerged from behind the skyscrapers and down the street.

There were _millions_ of them.

Everyone suddenly turned and ran, screaming, but some were rooted to the ground, petrified. The two brothers could only stare. Metal bugs were gorging on everything in sight. People included. Horrific, the wave of bugs was growing larger and larger by the second. The eggs slipped out of his hands and cracked on the cement with a yellow splat. He couldn't care less. They turned and ran. The screeches of the bugs were getting closer and everyone was shoving and pushing. Tadashi stumbled next to him, but kept his feet. He pulled him up desperately and ran, his heart pounding as they burst into their Aunt's cafe. She gave a cry of relief when she saw them and quickly pulled them inside, locking the door. Grabbing both of them by the arm, she asked them what was going on, but neither of them could answer. They didn't know, anyhow.

Then they reached the cafe. The sound of mechanical bugs ripping apart the house and ramming against the door was deafening. And they were just outside. Aunt Cass had been screaming something, drowned out by the sounds of the mechanical bugs ripping apart the door. The gun had been in the drawer, right next to his hand, and he couldn't bring himself to grab it. Then the mechanical bugs broke in, and that's when Tadashi ripped open the drawer, scooped up the gun, and fired. The sound of metal hitting metal filled the air and Aunt Cass was dragging him by the arm, trying to get out the back door. But he couldn't leave Tadashi with those things. He whirled around and tried to grab Baymax, who was in the living room. Mochi was yowling. The gun was shooting. Aunt Cass was screaming. The mechanical bugs were screeching. It all swirled together into a vibrant picture of chaos and turmoil. He felt his hand slip out of Aunt Cass's and he fell to the floor, hitting his head. Everything suddenly blacked out and every sound was replaced by the blood rushing and the high-pitched ringing in his ears. He could feel Tadashi pick him up, holding him with one arm, firing the gun with the other. The mechanical bugs were flooding into the house and Tadashi was retreating. He felt them fall back to the ground and stumble out the back door. The bugs were everywhere, swarming the house. Noise returned to his ears and he could hear the sounds of wood breaking and the mechanical bugs screeching. Tadashi dragged him away, and the two brothers ran into the vast expanse of San Fransokyo.

The bugs were so many, flooding the entire city. People were screaming and running for their lives. Even young children were left on their own in a desperate attempt to escape the sharp metal teeth at their heels. He couldn't help but notice in the chaos a small girl with a magenta dress on the sidewalk, screaming and crying out. Terrified. Tears were flowing down her little rosy cheeks, and her brown eyes were so frightened. She looked around, and her eyes locked onto Hiro's. He could feel himself stop as someone hit his shoulder, running by. He wanted to grab her. He wanted to, so badly. Then he gritted his teeth and turned away.

Mechanical bugs were ripping apart houses, buildings, cars, even the once tall skyscrapers were laid low. He couldn't believe that his home was getting destroyed in front of his own eyes. Aunt Cass was gone. Baymax was gone. Mochi was gone. They were on their own. And nothing stood between them and the mechanical bug infested remains of San Fransokyo. That was the day Hiro Hamada lost everything.


	2. Chapter I: The Ruins of San Fransokyo

O

It was a junkyard, filled with wreckage, rubble, and debris. But no bugs. That was a good sign. Holding his hand to his eyes, he surveyed the surroundings. Just sand, dry, cracked ground, and abandoned, worn down buildings. But there was no sign of water, food, or supplies either. That _wasn't_ a good sign. With what they had left, they'd only last a few more days. They needed to find some new supplies fast. But they wouldn't be able to do it today. It was dusk already; the bugs should be out soon. He blinked some sand out of his eyes.

It had been about two months since San Fransokyo had been run over. Only seemed like yesterday. He sighed and shielded his eyes from a gust of dusty wind. His footing in the loose sand started to wobble and quickly slid down the sand dune, stumbling to his feet. Rounding the corner of a sorry-looking building, he found Tadashi, catching his breath while he sat. "Find anything?" he asked in a dry voice.

"Nope," Hiro reported as he knelt. "But they'll be out soon."

"Then we need to find some shelter," Tadashi said. He coughed. Hiro quickly grabbed the water canister at his hip and offered it to him. Tadashi shook his head. "No. That water's yours."

Hiro pushed it toward him again. "Take it. I can find some more." He slid it into Tadashi's hand. His brother let out a defeated sigh and drank.

Tadashi had been hurt bad, since their last mechanical bug attack weeks ago. He was deeply cut in his side and his leg and they didn't have anything to treat it. Hiro had… _shared_ his shirt sleeves to wrap it, so now he sported a tank top instead. He slung their bulky backpack filled with their tools, supplies and junk over his shoulder. "We should move on soon." he said, looking out.

"Where will you find water?" Tadashi screwed the canister lid on tight, handing it back.

Hiro attached it to the backpack and brushed some dust off his shirt. "I'll find some. Somewhere," he added quietly.

Truth was, there was no real source of water anymore. You could only find it scavenging for supplies or if it rained. And right now, the ecosystem hated them. He couldn't even remember when was the last time it rained. Though they'd carefully rationed their water, it was almost gone. They would have to find some more soon.

Hiro let out a breath and held out his arms. "I'm ready." He helped Tadashi lean onto his shoulder and slowly stood up, helping him trudge through the streets. He strained to support his brother, who definitely weighed more than he did. The sun was almost down, threatening to kill their only source of outside light. Hiro looked up at the dry, empty skyscrapers and buildings. He gently nudged Tadashi towards the sidewalk, helping him up the curb and letting him take a break on a bench. "How about an empty apartment?" he asked.

Tadashi shrugged. "Sounds better than that junk heap you chose last night."

When they found a building riddled with empty apartments, they pushed their way past the broken doors and up the stairs, slowly, painfully, but surely. To their discovery, some of the apartments had occupants of their own. They glared at the brothers as they passed. When they finally found an empty apartment without a hole in the floor, Hiro let Tadashi down inside and slung the backpack off his shoulder, panting heavily and wiping sweat from his brow. It was small, the paint was peeling off the walls, and a good layer of dust coated everything. He closed the door and crossed over to the window. Below him, he could see the streets, the color of dry beige where the sand had blown. He could've sworn he felt a breeze through his hair, but realized it was just his imagination. Straining to spot any mechanical bugs down below, he found none. He sat at the window for the last few hours until the sky went dark.

"You coming?"

Hiro turned around to see Tadashi sitting up on the extra-large sleeping bag they'd found a couple weeks back. They originally had to share a small one, and it was so tiny that they just used it as a mattress. Even then, they kept finding themselves on the floor in the morning. Hiro left the window and settled himself next to Tadashi. It was too hot out, so no reason to get inside. Hopefully, the bugs wouldn't find them here. _Hopefully._ His mind started drifted elsewhere. To his Aunt Cass and Baymax. They hadn't seen them ever since the invasion. They could be alive, but he didn't know anything for sure. They could be. Hiro found it hard to believe, though. Aunt Cass was probably killed or eaten, Baymax destroyed. Hiro stopped himself from going further. They might be out there. He closed his eyes. "Good night, Dashi," he murmured.

Tadashi let out a breath. "I wish."

( — )

Hiro jerked awake with a small gasp. He was met with the darkness around them and of the ceiling above. He sighed and squeezed his eyes closed. It was only a nightmare. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes and looked over at Tadashi. Still sleeping, undisturbed. Hiro sighed and settled himself on the sleeping bag again, letting out a breath.

Someone moaned.

Hiro's eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up. He looked over at Tadashi. "Are you awake?" he asked.

Silence.

Hiro slowly turned his big lump of a brother over. His head lolled. Hiro shot down to press his ear to Tadashi's chest. He was breathing. What was wrong…? He looked over Tadashi again. "Tadashi?" he whispered. "Tadashi! _Dashi_!" he hissed. He shook his brother. "Tadashi!" He was getting frantic.

"Hiro..." Tadashi moaned again.

"Tadashi, what's wrong?"

"Hiro, I don't—feel—"

"What? You don't feel what?" Hiro felt his eyes grow with worry.

"It's weird. It hurts, but…it's numb."

Hiro blindly dug around in his backpack for the flashlight. His fingers brushed it, and he delved in deeper, his hand reemerging with the flashlight. He flicked it on and shined it on Tadashi's leg, slowly pulling the pant leg up. He pulled his hand back with a gasp. What he saw made him want to shove Tadashi away from him and scramble to the farthest wall.

Tadashi's leg was a blackish blue, and the blood had dried a deep red. Hiro pointed the flashlight away so he wouldn't have to look. "Tadashi, I think you have blood poisoning," he reported grimly. His brother made no reply. "Tadashi? _Tadashi_!" Hiro hissed. "What do I do?"

Tadashi limply shook his head. "We need help. But this can wait—until morning, though," he said. "I don't want you out—there."

"Tadashi, you need help now!" Hiro exclaimed, keeping his voice low. "Now how do I treat this thing?"

"You…need a massive dose of penicillin," Tadashi replied, nodding off.

"Tadashi? No. No, no, stay with me." He reached over and pinched Tadashi's cheek, shaking it. Tadashi moaned in protest and swatted his hand away. "Aauuurgh! Shtop…!" He elbowed Hiro in the gut.

He wheezed. "Glad to see…you're still awake," he panted. "Where is the penicillin anyway?"

"We don't have any."

One of their neighbors thumped the walls loudly. " _QUIET_!" they hissed.

Hiro paused. "Then I'll go find some. Where's the gun?"

"Hiro, no, _listen_ to me." Tadashi quickly reached out, grabbing Hiro's arm. "You can't go—out there—alone. Not with those things," he said earnestly. "I can't lose you, too."

"That so? I can't lose you either," Hiro said. "I'm going to the hospital. And there's no way you're gonna stop me. Maybe it'll have something." He reached into the backpack, pulling out an empty duffle bag. He slung it over his shoulder.

"Hiro, promise me—that you'll come straight—back," Tadashi rasped. He gripped Hiro's arm tighter. "Don't go anywhere—else."

Hiro looked back at his brother. He nodded. "Okay. I promise."

Tadashi nodded back. He slowly brought out the gun from the inner pocket of his green blazer piled on the floor and placed it in Hiro's hand firmly. "Stay safe," he said. "And—if you have to, shoot straight."

Hiro nodded again and stood up. "Alright. As long as you don't die on me."

Tadashi let out a breath. "If I'm not murdered by one of our neighbors first."

Hiro leaned down to give him a brief hug. "I'll be back soon," He whispered.

When he was down the stairs as quietly as he could, Hiro then slowly squeezed out the front door and crouched behind some rubble, peering out into the street. No bugs. He held the gun firmly in his hand and quickly pulled out the cartridge, counting the bullets.

Eight.

Eight bullets. Hopefully he wouldn't have to use them. Walking down the street, he glanced around nervously for mechanical bugs. The worst kind of mechanical bugs were the ones with faces. They became what they ate. If they ate a person, they sported the person's face, only where the eyes should be: glowing, green, mechanical bug eyes. It made him want to throw up when he saw them like that. But he'd done that a long time ago. He shivered. He hated walking out here. In the middle of the night. Alone. With no one with him. Alone. When someone could ambush him. Alone…

Hiro made his way through the streets silently, not risking the comforting light of his flashlight for the sake of concealment. Any sound made his heart skip a beat. Debris falling, sliding off something. Wind howling. The occasional creak of groaning skyscrapers and beat-up bridges. He paused when he heard the sound of rapid clicking. Metallic clicking. His heart pounding like a jackhammer, he quickly dove behind an abandoned car and waited as the clicking grew louder. A minute passed. He took the risk of slowly bending down to look under the car. A lone mechanical bug patrolled down the streets, grunting and gazing around the rubble, it's green eyes shedding light over everything. Hiro dared not to breath and thought that even his heart beat was too loud. He held the gun firmly.

No.

No, he wouldn't use the bullets. He ever so slowly stood up, peering just above the window. The bug had just passed. He slowly took a step. The debris clacked as his foot stepped on it. He froze. The rapid clicking of the bug's feet had paused. Hiro bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut. Then the clicking continued on. He slowly opened his eyes. _I'm not eaten. I'm not eaten. I'm not eaten._ He repeated to himself reassuringly. Stepping out from behind the car, he continued on.

Hiro finally emerged from behind a battered car and a heap of wreckage that seemed to consist of heating pipes, shattered glass, and broken concrete walls. In front of him stood a gigantic building, around 15 stories high, with broken glass, walls and windows, and groaning support beams. It was leaning dangerously to the left, and power cables were draped everywhere, snapped and broken. Hiro started a jog, and stopped at what was left of a set of double swinging doors, filled with smashed glass threatening to cut his legs if he stepped through. Above it was a bent, dusty plaque, which read: _Hochi Takaga San Fransokyo Hospital_.

He swallowed a lump in his throat and stepped through the crushed door, trying not to touch the reaching glass. Clicking on his flashlight and shining it around, he found that everything was broken, battered, dirty, and a few parts of the ceiling were laying fallen on the floor, with broken pipes and cables strewn everywhere. He walked over to a sign listing the elevator and the different levels. Rubbing off a layer of dust, he followed the words with his finger. Did he have to check all 20 floors? He slowly maneuvered through the rubble and wreckage until he reached a hall. He walked down it, his black chucks kicking up the dust on the dirty white floor. His eyes spied a door. _Room one_. It was a good place to start.

Hiro froze as the building suddenly groaned with weight. Breathing heavily, he listened. When all was quiet, he pressed the door slightly. It didn't budge. He pushed harder, and it still didn't move. He pressed his back against it, and it squeaked open, leading him to discover that there was a table tray and a piece of ceiling up against the door. Grunting, he managed to push the door open enough for him to squeeze in. He stepped over the trash and cleared off a counter with is arm, opening a drawer. _Okay._ Packs of disinfecting wipes and rolls of gauze wraps. Hiro grabbed all the rolls and stuffed them into the duffle bag. Picking up a packet that seemed to be filled with some sort of cream, he shook it. He didn't know what it was. He tossed a few into his bag anyway along with a few disinfecting wipe packs. Then he carefully closed the drawer and opened the next. Paper towels? Sure. More disinfecting wipes? Why not. Cough drops? Mm... no. Tongue compressors? No way. Penicillin? Aspirin? _Score_. Stuffing the various items into his bag, he left the room and checked a few more. Most of the other rooms had the same stuff. He did find a jar of some sort of gel, but whatever it was turned bad a long time ago. He checked all the sinks in hopes of water. None of them worked.

After he'd checked all the rooms on that floor, he opened the door to the flight of stairs and made his way up, his footsteps echoing crisply. He tugged open the door to the second floor and looked down the hall. No bugs. Only an eerie silence. He checked the other rooms, finding more gauze wrap, paper towels, and disinfecting wipes, along with some pills and medicine that he didn't know. He opened a door and found another room with a broken fake skeleton laying on the floor. With a dry scoff, he kicked it aside and went through the drawers. Nothing new. He pulled out a bottle and shook it. Opening the lid, he poured a white rain of dust into the sink. Those were probably pills a long time ago. He prodded into a few more bottles and found more penicillin. Then he finally twisted the cold knob on the sink. It let out a dry squeak, but there was no water. He slapped the counter it frustration. No water. Well, what was he supposed to expect? Fountains gushing through the pipes? Turning to leave, he grabbed the door knob when he heard something echoing in the hall. He threw himself behind the cushioned chair in the middle of the room, accidentally rustling the lamp attached to the chair frame, and waited. He held the gun firmly in his hand, his finger on the trigger. Tadashi's words rang in his ears. _If you have to, shoot straight._

Then the door squeaked open. With finger on the trigger, Hiro whirled himself around and raised the gun.

It was a boy.

A boy with wavy blonde hair and blue eyes, around his age, and a gun was slung over his shoulder. They both froze and stared at each other, wide eyed, and Hiro made the mistake of lowering his gun. The boy sprang on him, pushing him to the floor. Hiro let out a painful yell as his head hit hard rubble. The boy was trying to get the gun off his own shoulder and hit Hiro in the face at the same time, keeping him to the floor with his boot on his chest. Hiro felt the gun fly out of his hands and clatter to the floor a few inches away. The boy finally wrestled the gun off his shoulder and pointed it straight for Hiro's head. "Who are you?" he asked in a stern voice.

Hiro just kicked the gun right out of his hands, stubbing his toe. He reached up to try and push the boy off, but the boy punched him. The two rolled around in the rubble, hitting and kicking. Hiro's lip was bleeding when he grabbed the boy's shirt and pulled him around, trying to throw him off. He heard the door slam open and heavy footsteps.

"What the—Francis? _FRANCIS_!" accused a harsh voice. He felt a hand grip him tightly, and the boy, apparently 'Francis' was pushed aside. Hiro gave a gasp for breath, his face free from hands and feet. Then another hand gripped him and then someone else started hitting him. Hiro couldn't see his new attacker very well, but it was a girl. Then Hiro, Francis, and the girl all started to wrestle, rolling around in the wreckage. Only…the girl seemed to be on Francis's side. They both held him to the ground and he was finally hauled up and slammed against some drawers. Hiro winced as the drawer handles stuck into his bruised back.

"Who are you, and _what are you doing here_?" a voice hissed. The girl was staring fiercely at him, her brown eyes harsh and her hands clutching his shirt collar tightly in fists.

Hiro coughed. "H-Hiro," he managed weakly. "My name's Hiro."

"What are you doing here?" the girl asked.

"I-I was trying to find supplies," he said. "I was!"

"Easy, girl," a male voice cautioned. "Don't beat him up too bad. I think he's telling the truth." Hiro could see a black man next to Francis with his dark hair in short dreadlocks, held back with a headband. He also had a big gun in his hands. Behind him stood a boy, around 17, fair skin, dark hair, dark eyes, holding a gun. He looked Asian. Come to think of it, they all had guns. And were wearing black wristbands. The girl scowled and pulled him up roughly, crossing her arms. Hiro leaned heavily against the counter, coughing violently. He wiped his mouth, staining his jacket sleeve with dark splotches of blood.

He finally got a good look at the girl. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail with multicolored clips stuck randomly in her hair and bangs fell around her flushed face. She had a faded, pink tank top and a dirty, teal, hoodie with short sleeves. She wore brown Capri with two tall mismatch socks that looked like candy canes which were bagging over her black boots. She looked like a very angry, futuristic candy fairy.

"Let me see your bag," she near demanded. Hiro quickly handed it over. The girl unzipped it and started to poke around. "That's a lot of wrap you have," she observed and grabbed some rolls.

"Hey! Find your own!" Hiro snatched the bag out of her hands.

"You aren't hurt or anything! You don't need it!" she spat. "We do, cuz we need to help…other people. So give it back." She held out her hand. "Look, I'll let you have one fifths of what's in there."

"Or maybe, you can find your own instead of _stealing_ ," Hiro said. "You're just robbing me of what's _rightfully mine._ You have no right. There are plenty of other floors I haven't been to. Go check for yourself."

"Steal it—!" The girl ran forward and tried to hit Hiro, but Hiro held the bag up protectively. "I'M NOT A THEIF!" she yelled, her eyes blazing.

"Vanellope." The black man placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "It's his. We don't have the right to take it," he said. "So leave him be."

"But I'm not a thief!"

"You were taking his stuff…" the Asian kid started. "That's the basis of stealing."

"Nobody asked you," the girl sniffed.

Hiro stopped, a clicking filling the air. "Quiet," he said.

The girl looked at him oddly. "What?"

Hiro said lowered his hand for emphasis. They all listened. There was a rapid, metallic clicking down the hall. They all looked at each other. Hiro's eyes wide. "Cybug," Francis muttered and they all grabbed their guns.

Hiro grabbed his gun from the floor and cocked it. The girl slowly nudged the door with her foot and peeked down the hall. Hiro held his breath. _Please let there be one. Just one._ He thought desperately. _Just one or two. One or two. Or three. One, two, or three._

The girl pulled herself back in. "There's nine," she breathed.

Hiro felt his heart sink. _Nine._ The black man nodded and he slowly stepped into the hall. He suddenly pulled the trigger and fired a line of bullets as a piercing shriek filled the air. It was deafening. Francis, Hiro, the other boy, and the girl all stepped out as well and shot their guns. Two of the bugs had faces. One was an elderly old man, and the other was a middle-aged woman. Hiro felt a sickening feeling rise in his throat, but he pressed it down and carefully aimed and pulled the trigger, but his shot missed. Francis pulled the trigger over and over, the bullets raining down on the nine mechanical bugs. They were skittering closer, their mouths wide open. Their screeches rang in the air. The building groaned dangerously, creaking.

Francis pulled the other boy aside. "I'll go. Cover me." He stepped out again and fired his rifle at the oncoming bugs, taking a few steps closer for a better shot. The other boy shot the bugs that were dangerously close. Francis shot one right in the eye and it screeched madly. It rushed around blindly and suddenly crashed into Francis, knocking him to the floor. The mechanical bug grabbed Francis in its mouth and tried to bite down, it's teeth dangerously close to the boy's neck. Francis let out a scream.

"FRANCIS!" the girl screamed in panic.

Hiro suddenly ran forward and shot the bug right in the eye, making it screech. He hit it with the handle of his gun over and over again, until it released Francis, throwing him onto the floor in a heap. Francis scrambled away, retrieving his gun. Hiro was then knocked to the floor. The mechanical bug skittered on top of him and screeched in his face, displaying a sharp array of metal fangs. He reached over and grabbed a bar of metal with large chips of cement on it, and whacked it into the bug's face. He kicked it underneath, and slowly fought it back. He dealt it one final blow to the eyes, and it screeched once more before the lights in its eyes went out and it fell to the floor in a clanking heap. Hiro threw it off himself in panic and stood up, grabbing his gun and joining the others, making sure he had all his fingers.

"Kid, I'm impressed," the Asian guy said with a quick nod.

The five retreated down the hall, firing their guns after the bugs. Hiro pulled the trigger, and he only got an empty click. Hiro pulled it again, clicking. It was empty. He threw it at the bugs. One of them quickly ate it and two guns emerged from underneath it. They all stared in horror. Then the guns only clicked. One of them was shot in the eye, and started to dance around madly, screeching and bumping into things. The girl shot it again, it suddenly stopped, its eyes went out, and it hunkered down into a fizzing heap.

"THIS WAY!" the man yelled and opened the door to the stairs. Hiro, Francis, the other boy, and the girl ran through the door and the man slammed it closed, barring the door with a metal pipe, which he slid through the handle. The mechanical bugs rammed into the door, shattering the glass window. They rammed themselves continuously, making large dents. The man ushered them quickly down the stairs.

Hiro slammed his hands into the door, pushing it open. He froze when he saw what was down the hall, blocking the main door. He quickly closed the door, breathing heavily. "There's two more," he whispered. The man quickly barred the door in the same manner. They watched as the two bugs quickly ran over to the door and began ramming it. Hiro suddenly felt faint. The doors were blocked.

The girl ran down the remaining flight of stairs. "Come on! Let's try the parking garage." The others followed her lead and they ran down. Everything became even more dark as they came to the garage door. The man pushed it open and they ran through.

It was pitch black. Hiro quickly flicked on his flashlight and shone it around. There were a few abandoned cars in the parking spaces, and the lights were all out. The others pulled out flashlights as well. Hiro couldn't find a door or exit other than the one they just came through. The Asian boy made his way through the garage. "I think the exit's this way," he said. "Come on." They followed him through the cars until they came to the ramp, leading out into the night. They ran gratefully away from the hospital and down the street.

Hiro threw his bag off his shoulder and collapsed against a car, panting. The girl, the man, the other boy and Francis did the same. Hiro looked up, his chest rising and falling. "I can't believe I'm not dead. I should be dead." He gasped for breath.

The girl regarded him. Well, at least he knew how to use a gun. And he'd survived this far. The bug thing was impressive, she had to admit. She nodded toward him. "Hey. You okay?" she asked, panting, her hand on her hip.

Hiro looked at her oddly. "Yeah. I'm _fine_ ," he wheezed and slumped down.

The girl stuck out her hand. "I'm Vanellope. W-what's your name again?"

"Hiro." He reached out and clamped Vanellope's hand. "Hiro Hamada."

The man stepped forward. "This is Francis, whom I see you've already met, Jordan," he gestured to the Asian boy. The boy nodded, "and I'm Wasabi." the man introduced. "Are there any others with you?"

Hiro nodded. "My brother. He's hurt really bad and he needs help. That's why I was looking in the hospital."

Vanellope bent down and picked up his bag. She looked at it for a minute. "I'm not going to take your stuff," she said finally and offered it back to him. "Sorry…about me yelling and stuff. I…well, you looked like a dope to me."

Hiro took the bag back and gave her an odd look. "Do you think you could help my brother?"

Vanellope nodded. "We have a doctor back at our gang."

"Why—why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? One minute, you're shoving me up against some drawers by my throat, and the next you're offering to help me and my brother," Hiro asked skeptically.

Vanellope looked at her hands. "Um, I was thinking...maybe you and your brother could join us," she admitted. "I mean, our gang."

"Gang?" Hiro asked. "So wait. There are others with you?"

Vanellope nodded. "Yeah. You didn't think you were the only one out here, right? I mean, gadoy," she said sarcastically. "But yeah. There are others with us. So are we going to go find your brother?" she asked and slung her gun on her shoulder.

Hiro led them through the streets, keeping an eye out for any more bugs, but there were no more encounters that night. Hiro let them up the stairs and into their little apartment. "Tadashi? Tadashi, I'm back," Hiro said. "Tadashi?" Hiro shook his brothers shoulder. "Tadashi? Tadashi! Can you hear me? Tadashi! Come on!" Hiro started to panic. "Vanellope, he's unconscious. Vanellope?"

Vanellope came in and looked at him. "This isn't good."

"I _know_ this isn't good!" Hiro yelled, not caring if he woke someone up.

"He needs help. Fast. Help me carry him," Vanellope ordered. She and Hiro worked together to let Tadashi lean over Hiro's shoulder, and he carried him out until he surrendered to let Wasabi hold him. "Wasabi, we need Felix. What's the quickest way back?" Vanellope asked.

Wasabi shifted Tadashi in his arms. "Jeep. It's not far from here. Let's go."


	3. Chapter II: One of the Family

The deep red jeep sped across the dry ground, kicking up billows of dust. Wasabi gripped the leather wrapped wheel in his rough hands, scanning the horizon for any sign of bugs. Jordan sat at his right, checking his gun over and picking dried grit out from nooks and crannies. He stared out his window, watching the barren landscape speed by in a blur. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Francis, Vanellope, Hiro, and Tadashi in the back seat. Hiro was desperation personified as he watched his brother intently, looking for any sign of physical change. "Is he okay?" Hiro asked.

Vanellope shook her head. "I-I don't know. I'm not a good doctor. But Fix-it is. I think he can help him."

"Yeah," Francis agreed. "I'm positive Fix-it can handle this."

Hiro wasn't convinced. Tadashi breathed faster and sweat was dripping down his face. He moaned until he let out a sudden yell, making everyone in the car jump. Vanellope let out a small shriek and Hiro was already scared.

"We're close," Wasabi said, pressing on the gas pedal a little more. "Hang on back there." The car started to bump around a bit more.

Hiro shook Tadashi's arm. "Tadashi? Tadashi, are you—"

Tadashi let out yell.

"Wasabi?" Francis asked uncomfortably.

Jordan stuck his head out the window, the wind tousling his dark hair. He steadied himself by grabbing the window frame and pointed. "We're here!"

Ahead was a large group of tents and people were milling around, some sitting around campfires. Tadashi let out another yell, and his voice was escalating. Wasabi parked with a screech as Vanellope viciously kicked open the door, jumping out and running to open the opposite door, helping Hiro drag Tadashi out. They let Wasabi carry him, who was now in a delirious fit. Hiro could feel himself growing queasy.

Vanellope ran ahead, dodging past people, tents, and campfires, until she burst into a large canopy. "Felix?" she called inside frantically.

In the canopy were desks lined along the sides, littered with various bolts, screwdrivers, penicillin, and gauze wrap, along with a few vials of weird smelling liquids. A solitary table stood in the middle of the canopy and a short man was rubbing his hands with a rag. He had warm brown hair and brown eyes with a large, round, nose. He sported a blue cap and a utility belt around his waist. He smiled when he saw Vanellope burst inside. "Oh, hello, Vanellope," he said in a slight southern accent. "What can I do for you today?" he asked and set the rag down.

Vanellope let out a pant. "Felix, help. Fast." She stepped inside, followed by Hiro and Wasabi, holding the yelling Tadashi.

Felix held a hand to his mouth. He had the black wristband. "Oh my land," he said, aghast. "Set him down here." He quickly cleared some things off the middle table, where Wasabi laid him down. Felix grabbed a stool and stepped up on it, looking Tadashi over. He quickly filled a bowl with water and grabbed a clean rag. Wetting it, he squeezed, carefully setting it on Tadashi's forehead under Hiro's worried gaze. Felix pressed the rag and then retrieved a pair of scissors, cutting the shreds off of Tadashi's arm and side, revealing a hideous, blackish-blue mass of dried blood and ripped skin. Hiro and Vanellope looked away. Felix himself was a bit taken aback by the sight, but kept a straight face and set to work. "When did this happen?" he asked.

"About a week ago. Maybe a week and a half," Hiro admitted. "We were attacked by some...cyborg bugs?" he asked.

"Cybugs," Vanellope corrected.

"They really cut his arm and side." Hiro gulped.

"This should have been treated immediately," Felix said and grabbed some sort of clear liquid, squeezing it onto a small cotton ball. "The infection may have spread." He rubbed the cotton onto Tadashi's arm.

Hiro's gaze fell to the floor. "Uh, w-we didn't have the right supplies."

Tadashi's fit was getting worse. "AAAAAAUGH!" He yelled. Felix replaced the rag on his forehead with a new one. "He's running a fever." Felix grabbed a cup, filling it with water from a jar and held it to Tadashi's mouth. Tadashi drank the water and let out a gasp, crying out Hiro's name.

Hiro flew to his side. "Hey. Bro, hey. I'm here."

Tadashi moaned. "W-what..." he let out another piercing yell, agonized.

Felix had applied another cotton ball to his side, doused in disinfecting chemicals. Hiro quickly held his brother's hand and squeezed tightly, looking up at Felix. "Is he okay?" he asked. Tadashi let out another yell and squeezed his hand back until both their knuckles were white.

Felix shook his head. "He's dehydrated—you probably both are—he has a fever, and his side and leg are infected. Find me some gauze wrap," he said.

Hiro quickly unzipped his bag and pulled out some wrap. Felix took it and pulled out a length, wrapping it around Tadashi's arm and side. Hiro watched as Felix carefully filled a syringe with a clear liquid before injecting it into Tadashi's neck. His brother instantly relaxed.

" _Will_ he be all right?" Hiro asked in a small voice.

The short man placed the syringe on a table and shook his head. "He probably will. Time will tell. He's in awful shape and the infection has spread farther than it should've been let." he wiped his hands on the rag. "I gave him some fluidic vitamins, and medicine to calm him down a bit." He poured a cup of water and held it out to Hiro. "Drink this."

Hiro took the cup and downed the water. He realized how parched his throat was. He drank it all and handed the cup back to Felix. "Thanks," he said and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Felix turned to Vanellope. "When did you find him?"

Vanellope pushed a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Um, our scout group was going for supplies in the hospital. We split up, and Francis found, uh..." she snapped her fingers a few times, "…Hiro, and then we got attacked by Cybugs. We're fine though, and then Hiro said he had a brother who needed help. So we found him and brought him back, and that's where we are now. I guess."

"Hiro," Tadashi called weakly. He tried to sit up. "Where's Hiro?"

"Now, now, now," Felix said and gently pushed Tadashi down. " _You_ need to get some rest." He wagged a finger at him. "Just stay down."

"Hey." Hiro shot him the best smile he could manage. "I'm here."

Tadashi looked up at him. "Hiro?" he asked slowly, his voice hoarse. "Where... where are we?" He looked around and groaned.

"It's a long story. I-I'll explain everything later." Hiro chuckled breathlessly. "When you're feeling better. We're with _friends_ ," he reassured. "They helped you. You're gonna be fine. Just...just get some rest, okay?"

Tadashi tried to nod. He coughed.

They all turned their heads as someone else entered the tent. Short black hair with a streak of purple in the bangs fell over dark eyes that glanced over at the table. "I just heard. How is he, Felix?" The girl asked.

Felix shook his head. "Not well, I'm afraid," he said and set down a thermometer. "Very dehydrated, lost a lot of blood, a twisted ankle, very large infection. And he's running up a fever. I've done what I can for now, but we won't know anything until morning. Right now, he just needs to rest."

The girl looked around nineteen, wearing a dirty red and gray striped tank with a short leather jacket. Denim short shorts were worn over black leggings and her gray chucks shifted the dirt floor. She had a black wristband and an aura that made you want to take a step back. Vanellope fell silent and nervously crossed her arms, hiding her eyes behind black bangs. Hiro glanced back at the newcomer, who looked Tadashi over. She glanced at Vanellope, who reluctantly glanced back up at her.

"Um, I found them at the hospital. Well, I found him at the hospital." Vanellope nodded at Hiro.

"I know," the girl said. "Jordan told me." She turned to Hiro. "How long have you two been out there?" she asked and crossed her arms.

Hiro shook his head. "I don't know. Uh, around two months?"

The girl nodded. "And you've survived for this long? Were you hiding?"

Hiro shook his head. "We've been moving around lot."

"Did you run into Cybugs?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah."

The girl nodded. "So what's your story?" she asked and popped a pink gum bubble, waiting for him to speak. Short and to the point.

Hiro explained simply how they were with their aunt and their 'friend,' a.k.a. Baymax, in the cafe, when they got attacked by the Cybugs, getting separated, and how they had been fighting for survival out in the ruins, how Tadashi got hurt, and how he went into the hospital and found Vanellope, ending with where they were standing now. There was more than his story running through his head as he explained. These guys could be able to help them find Aunt Cass. If he could get on their team, then they would help him. It was worth a shot, but if this girl was the person he thought she was, then this was gonna be more than a piece of cake.

The girl nodded. "My name's GoGo. This is my little sister, whom I see you've already met." She nodded at Vanellope, who shrugged. "Well, as soon as your brother's healed up, you two can go. How soon will he be better?"

The short man shrugged. "Oh, well, I dunno. Maybe a few days. A week. Weeks plural?"

In the corner, Vanellope opened her mouth to speak, letting out a dry, strangled noise. "GoGo, um, could I…talk to you? I—"

"But couldn't I join you guys?" Hiro asked quickly, cutting Vanellope off. "I mean, I can do stuff. Is there a way I can join up?" Hiro asked.

GoGo abruptly turned to look him down. "We're not that desperate yet. We're doing fine on our own. You're going to leave as soon as your brother's better. We can't take you in right now."

"Then how about later?"

"Uh, GoGo..." Vanellope reproached.

"I'm not useless!" Hiro rebutted. "I can fix stuff! I can even—"

"We already have Fix-it to fix stuff," GoGo said firmly.

"GoGo..." Vanellope tried again.

"I could be Felix's assistant."

"Felix doesn't _need_ an assistant."

"Actually—" Felix started. GoGo turned and gave him a glare. Felix's mouth was still open, his sentence hanging. "Oh, I was just going to say, could you pass me that jar by your hand, GoGo?" he asked quickly.

GoGo grabbed the jar and slid it across the table.

 _Okay._ Hiro thought. If he had to push his way onto their team, he'd push. He drew in a breath. "I bet I'm better then Felix," he challenged.

GoGo straightened. She didn't want her time to be wasted. But if she had to waste time to show this guy, so be it. "Felix, get him some tools," she ordered. Felix silently hopped off the stool and retrieved a can of tools and placed them on the table. GoGo pulled a talk com out of her jacket pocket and set it firmly next to the tools. "Fix it," she said curtly. "Felix tried to fix it, couldn't, and banged it up even more. But fix it, _if you really think you can_." She leaned back on the table with her arms crossed, ready to watch him fail. "Felix, time him."

Hiro let out a breath and grabbed a screwdriver, unscrewing the back of the com. Vanellope, Felix, and GoGo watched as he dissected it and took everything apart. He held the damaged parts in his hands and looked them over, his brows furrowed in deep thought as he contemplated what would be the best course of action. "He busted it really bad," he muttered, giving GoGo a small sense of satisfaction. Hiro bit his lip. _But this is nothing_. He took apart the pieces and replaced a part with a fragment from his watch, which took a few seconds to disassemble. He pressed the inside parts into place and pieced the com together.

Vanellope slowly nodded. Hiro knew what he was doing.

Hiro screwed the lid back on and tossed it into the air, catching it with a swipe for a dramatic emphasis. "Fixed it," he said simply. He held it out to GoGo with an outstretched arm.

After a moment, she slowly took it from him, turning it on. It crackled and buzzed with static for a few seconds as she held it to her mouth. "GoGo to Diana. Come in, Diana. Do you read me?" she asked.

There was a small crackle. "Yeah. I read you," the voice said. "Is…there something wrong?" the voice asked slowly.

GoGo looked up at Hiro, who was smiling innocently, yet giving her a look. He leaned against the table and looked away. GoGo shook her head. "No," she said finally. "No. There's nothing wrong. GoGo out." She flicked it off, looking over at Felix. "How long did that take?" she asked.

Felix glanced down at his watch. "According to my watch, it took a matter of..." he squinted, reading the roman numerals, "…six minutes, and around 28 seconds," he said and looked up at her with awe.

"Anything ahead of a Pentium, I can handle," Hiro said nonchalantly. "I have a talent for computers, and I love to invent."

GoGo looked over at Hiro again, not wanting to admit that she was wrong. "What's electro mag suspension?" she asked rapid fire.

"Electromagnetic suspension is when two electromagnets are positioned in a way where they are opposed to each other, creating electromagnetism. The force of the two magnets are so strong, so that if a super conductor gets caught between the force of the magnets, it can be suspended in midair," Hiro answered back smoothly without a falter or trip in his words.

GoGo let out a breath. "Impressive," she muttered reluctantly, sliding the talk com back into her pocket.

"GoGo. I need to talk to you," Vanellope quickly said before anyone could interrupt her, and pulled GoGo by the arm to the corner of the tent. "They could be good assets," she hissed close to GoGo's ear. "Think about it, Go. He's good at fixing. Even better than Felix. And he likes to invent. He's very useful. I think they should stay," Vanellope whispered.

GoGo looked over at them. "Hiro, he might stay. His brother..." GoGo pursed her lips. "I don't know yet. We'll see." She stood up and straightened her shirt. "Hiro, follow me." She nodded her head toward the tent flap.

Hiro looked back at Tadashi, who had calmed down. He bit his lip.

GoGo showed the slightest hint of a smile. "He'll be okay," she said gently, reassuring. "If he's with Felix and Vanellope, then he's in good hands. He'll be fine. Come with me." She held the tent flap open. Hiro reluctantly let out a breath and followed her outside, casting one last glance at Tadashi.

Outside, the sun wasn't up, but the sky was painted brilliant shades of yellow, pink, purple, and blue. Hiro looked around as a breeze wafted past. People were getting up and putting out the fires, preparing to start the day.

GoGo took in a breath and nodded. "We don't have much here." She looked around. "But we have enough. And we have each other." She set her face determinedly. "And we're proud of what we've done here." She looked down at Hiro. "You ready?" she asked.

Hiro nodded.

GoGo walked off into the midst of the camp, sifting through the people with Hiro struggling to keep up. "It was hard, getting started. Me and Vanellope found a few of our friends and we stuck together. Then we found others. We had a rusty start, but we made it," GoGo explained. "If you want to stay, you have to work the way we work," she said and dodged a man. "Number one, we have to contribute to everyone here with what we do. By the way, that's the kitchen." She pointed. Two large canopies, next to each other, creating a very long tent. "We eat under there usually. Number two, you have to know what you're doing. If you don't, always, always, _always_ ask someone who does. Never do anything if you aren't sure about it. That's the vehicle tent. We keep all our transportation devices under there." Hiro pushed past a man and a woman, puffing. GoGo was pointing at a small tent, under which were a few cars, a couple motorbikes, and a red moped. "Number three, you haul your own weight. If you got problems, don't count on anyone to help you with it. You gotta get through it on your own. If someone helps, that's okay, but don't look for charity."

She waltzed up to a wooden shack with heavy, double doors, which were held locked with a coded padlock. She stopped and whirled around to look at him. "So this aunt you mentioned," she said. "I'm sorry about that."

"What?" Hiro asked, confused. "No. No, we were just separated. That's all. We're still looking for her, though. We haven't found her. Yet," He admitted.

GoGo watched him carefully. "Hiro, she's gone," she said. "She's _dead_ , and you have to accept it. Don't waste time looking for her _._ "

"No!" Hiro burst. He was getting an emotional overload. "Look, I don't care what you think. I'm still going to keep looking for her," Hiro said firmly. "I'm still going to hope." He bit his lip and stared at her defiantly.

"Hope?" GoGo scoffed. She looked away. "Hope is treacherous. You can never count on hope." She looked back at him, her expression dark. "Sometimes, hope is kind, and it gives you the ones you love. Other times," she advanced slowly, "it cheats you and takes them away from you forever." She took a step back and looked out at the camp. "Hope cheated me and Vanellope. We lost our parents." She looked back at him. "Your brother could die, or maybe your aunt really is dead, for all we know," she said. "No matter how much you hope, it doesn't change anything." She let out a breath. "So if you want to join us," she said slowly, "You have to give up any idea of your aunt being alive. It'll hinder your performance here, like a flaw. We can't have that."

"What? So no one else here wants to find their loved ones?"

"How do you think they got in?"

"But…" Hiro shook his head. "That…that's not fair. You can't control what I want to hope for. And even if I did find her, what's that to you?"

"Kid, make your choice." GoGo stopped him.

Hiro was mad. He was trembling, even. _She_ had the nerve to tell _him_ that _his_ aunt was dead. Hiro quickly bit his tongue to keep a fluent string of angry insults from pouring out his mouth. If he refused, there was absolutely no way he was going to stay. GoGo would kick them out for sure. And then he wouldn't be able to find Aunt Cass. So there was Option A) accept and stay, or Option B) refuse and get kicked out. Which one was it going to be? A or B? His mind raced furiously for another option. But then again... there _was_ another option.

Option C) lie.

He looked up at GoGo. Neither A nor B would give him what he wanted. Friends. A group. Supplies. But C was the whole package. Time to test his acting abilities. He tried to make his eyes water. "Okay." he said in a slow, small voice, making it waver as if it hurt to speak. "Okay. Fine," he said and looked up at her. He wasn't sure how he looked, but hoped it looked convincing. Fortunately, it looked like she was buying it.

GoGo nodded and gripped his shoulder. He'd passed her final test, if not with flying colors. But only time would tell if this kid really was worth it. Turning around, she decoded the padlock, her fingers a blur. The padlock fell off with a click and she swung open the double doors with a shove.

Inside were rows upon rows upon rows of guns, rifles, pistols, and revolvers. Crates of ammunition were stacked against the back. GoGo selected a black rifle, checking the cartridge. Then, she grabbed a belt with a holster slung on it and a revolver inside that. Opening a crate, she selected a belt of bullets, dumping the weapons in his arms. "Keep these with you," she said and popped a gum bubble as she pulled out a black wristband and handed it to Hiro. "Put this on."

"Why?" Hiro asked and grabbed it slowly.

"There are other gangs out there," GoGo explained. "If we get caught up in a gun fight, we wanna know who's who." She nodded at his hand. "The wristband will help us know who you are. If you don't wear it, then one of us liable to shoot you by accident."

That made sense.

"Calhoun will show you how to shoot them tomorrow. Vanellope will get you some new clothes and a tent. When you've changed, burn your old clothes." GoGo paused. "And Vanellope will tell you who Calhoun is." She ruffled his raven hair, making it stick up in stiff peaks. "You're in." Then, she disappeared into the throngs of people.

Hiro looked at the wristband in his hand and turned to see Vanellope running up to him. "Are you in?" she asked in a breath.

Hiro looked down at his arms full of weapons. "Yeah," he said and hefted the load. "She gave me a wristband and all these. I guess."

Vanellope did a mad series of fist pumps and stamping her feet excitedly. "Sweet Mother of Monkey Milk!" Vanellope exclaimed. "So who's teaching you?"

"Um, C-Calhoun."

Vanellope's face fell. "Calhoun?" she asked, her eyes wide. "Oh, man."

"What? What's wrong?" Hiro asked.

Vanellope struggled for a way to put it. "Let's say GoGo's 60 percent. Calhoun's a hundred." Vanellope grimaced. "She's strict, hard, tough, and she doesn't believe in starting easy. And she's kinda loud."

Hiro's heart sank. Angry shooting teacher tomorrow. Yippie.

"GoGo's making it hard for you," she said. Then she punched his shoulder. "Probably because she thinks that you're ready. C'mon. I'll show you your tent," she said and waved for him to follow.


	4. Chapter III: A New Life

Vanellope chatted on and on about things that went on around the camp, explaining the process of dinner, getting picked for a patrol, and other things he might need to know, or, as she put it, 'possibly helpful tippets.' She led Hiro through the sea of people, nodding at a few or calling out a small "Hey" as she passed. Hiro was amazed at how small the camp was, yet how easy it was to get lost. There were tents and canopies everywhere, and almost all of them were the same color and size. He was going to get some places confused, he was sure. "And you can stay in this tent," Vanellope said and gestured to a tent at her right. Same color, same size, same everything. Now he was even going to get his tent mixed up. Before he knew it, he'd walk into someone else's tent by accident. "When your brother gets better, he can stay in here with you. We've been sharing tents because we don't have that many," Vanellope explained. Hiro found that hard to believe. She handed him a neatly folded pile of clothes. "You can have these," she said. "I'll be right back."

"Thanks." Hiro accepted them and went inside. It was pretty much empty, except for a small, folding table and a cot in the corner. Hiro placed his guns on the table and tossed the clothes onto the cot, taking a look around. He unzipped his navy jacket and undressed, changing into his jeans and gray tank top, which was a perfect fit. Picking up the dark leather jacket, he shrugged it over his shoulders and slung the black belt through the loops in his jeans. He finished by tugging on some black boots. Running his fingers through his hair, he looked down at himself. Not bad. He slung the belt with the holster and revolver around his waist, along with the bullets, but the bullet belt was a too big, so it sagged a little bit. The rifle was slung over his head. Then, slowly, he picked up the wristband. He looked at it for a little bit before sliding onto his arm. He flexed his wrist, looking and the band. He let out a satisfied breath.

Finished, he turned to his heap of old clothes, folding them so he didn't look like a slob. He paused when he came to his red shirt. Standing up, he held the shirt in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over the faded robot design on the front. He remembered the shirt. He…he got it…when he was eight. It was his eighth birthday. The shirt was too big, so he had to grow into it. He also spilled chocolate ice cream on it and he had gotten so upset. Hiro stifled a chuckle. Holding the shirt to his nose, he took in a breath. It smelled familiar. A piece of home. He looked at it again. What was left of his home, anyway. It held memories. Ones he didn't want to burn.

"Hey, are you done?" Vanellope asked from outside.

Hiro jumped. "Yeah."

Vanellope stepped inside. "I know it doesn't look very homey at first, but you can add your own touches later, when you're ready. We can move another cot in here for you brother, too," she said. "Also, I suggest you roll up your jacket sleeves so we can see the wristband."

Hiro nodded and complied. His gaze fell to the shirt in his hands. "So, uh, where do I burn my clothes?" he asked slowly, his eyes fixed on the fabric-paint robot.

"I can show it to you." Vanellope opened the tent flap, but stopped when she saw Hiro staring at his old shirt. She knew that expression too well. Hiro wanted to keep the shirt. It probably meant a lot to him. She knew exactly how he felt. "You know," Vanellope started, "that's a cool shirt." Hiro looked up at her and she shot him a smile. "Keep it."

Hiro stood there, looking at her for a minute. "You sure? Won't GoGo…"

"It's one shirt," Vanellope rebutted. "I don't think she'll kill you over it."

Then he nodded, smiling back. "Okay." Tucking the red shirt under his cot, he gathered the rest under his arm and followed Vanellope.

Stepping outside, he felt like a completely new person, like he wasn't Hiro Hamada anymore. He almost felt like he didn't know who he was anymore. Part of him was Hiro Hamada, but the other...was just something else. Just…Hiro. He was starting to feel different, beginning a new life.

"You can burn them here," Vanellope interrupted Hiro's thoughts and gestured to a fire that was still going. He tossed in his shorts and his white shirt, following with his jacket. He checked the pockets before he did, watching them shrivel black and burn.

A sun-burned man with a scraggly beard and a straw hat glanced over and nodded at Hiro. "So you're new?" he asked, leaning against the back of his chair. Hiro nodded. The man nodded in return. "Burning your old clothes," he murmured. "Well, congrats, and I hope that you'll take care of yourself out there," he said. "It's not easy."

Hiro smiled. "I will."

Vanellope led him away. "So. How old are you? You never said."

"Fourteen."

"Sweet. I'm thirteen. How old's Ta...Tada...uh, Tashida?"

"Uh, Tadashi. 19, or—no. No, he's 18."

Vanellope nodded. "You wanna go check on him again?" she asked.

Hiro shook his head. "Nah, we should let him rest. Plus, I just showed Felix up. I feel a little bad about that," he admitted.

"Ah, he'll get over it," Vanellope said. "He's not the grudge-holding type. So, you wanna get a bite to eat, then?" she asked, but Hiro just shrugged. "Well then, I'm starving. Come on!" She ran off with Hiro following behind.

Vanellope raced over to the two canopies that Hiro had seen earlier and he followed her inside. There was one long row of five connected picnic tables, and some people were already seated. Vanellope plopped down and Hiro slowly sat down next to her, the awkward taking over. Vanellope instantly started to chat with a man across from her. Hiro couldn't help but notice that the man's hands were _ginormous_. Literally _huge._ He had brown, ragged hair, and an orange, plaid, button down. For the most part, he looked friendly. Looked like he knew Vanellope well. He told her a joke and she snorted her head off. The man had to hunch down a little bit to avoid hitting his head on one of the electric lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Hiro took the opportunity to look around for anyone he might know. He scanned the faces, met with nothing familiar. His friends weren't here.

Well, there was that guy at the Sweet Bean that he'd seen occasionally, but that didn't really count. Others were coming in as well. Jordan sat next to Hiro. "Hey. Um, are you okay? You seem like you're drifting," he said, waving a hand in front of Hiro's face slowly.

Hiro blinked and shook his head. "I'm fine."

Jordan looked at Hiro's back. "You got a rifle. Are you in?" he asked. When Hiro nodded, Jordan slapped him on the back. "Nice. It's not easy, getting past GoGo. She's a tough judge. Let me guess. She was going to turn you _out_ , but then you somehow got _in_. Am I right?" he asked, holding up a finger.

"Jordan, stop making him feel weird." A black woman sat down across from them, around 30. She had her dark hair pulled back into a short braid and a warm smile with bright, green eyes. "I'm sorry about Jordan. He doesn't know when to shut up, sometimes," she said apologetically. "He's a real blabber mouth. He just can't stop talking." The woman said with a little laugh. "I'm Diana." She held out her hand.

"Hiro." He shook her hand. "Hiro Hamada."

"Nice to meet you, Hiro," Diana said.

Jordan started to beat-box. "Oom-pa-chi-ka- _He saved Francis-_ Oom-pa-chi-ka- _he's a hero-_ Oom-pa-chi-ka- _you'll know who he is-_ Oom-pa-chi-ka- _'cos his name's HIRO_!" he roared as he slapped a rhythm on the table.

"This is what I mean." Diana pointed at the teen with a tired sigh.

Hiro tried to hide his blush and a laugh as he ran his fingers through his hair. Vanellope and the man looked over at them. "Jordan, what was that?" the man asked, leaning across the table to look at him.

"That, Ralph, is called _rap_ ," he said. "Only, I couldn't find anything to rhyme with ''Francis''—except dances—so I switched it around," he said, right as Francis sat down a couple spaces away from Diana. "Francis! Man, did you know that your name is so hard to rhyme with?"

Francis looked confused.

"Yeah, um," the man that Vanellope was talking to lowered his hands. "Keep it down a bit, buddy."

"Oh. Yeah. Right." Jordan coughed into his fist. "Totally. Sorry, dude."

"Hiro," Vanellope said, "This is my friend. Ralph."

"Hi." The man grinned and waved one of his massive hands. "Ralph."

"H-hey." Hiro did a little hesitant wave.

"Ralph, this is Hiro," Vanellope said. "He's new here."

"Really?" Ralph remarked. "It's not easy getting in here. Or, it's not easy getting past GoGo. No offense," he offered to Vanellope. She nodded. "So what are you going to be?" Ralph rested his chin on a fist.

"Uh, I'm going to be a…mechanic, or something like that," said Hiro. "What are you?" Hiro asked and crossed his arms on the table, leaning closer to hear above the din of the table.

"Oh, I'm just a patrol guy," Ralph said modestly. "I think it's just because I can take a Cybug on with my bare hands."

"He can. I've seen him do it." Vanellope nodded.

A booming clap quieted the hubbub down. They all looked down the table to see a red head with wildly unkempt hair, freckles, a snub nose, and large gray eyes. Behind narrow blue glasses. He was short and small. The kind with tiny hands that didn't look like they could make such a thunderous clap. He cleared his throat. "Excuse me. Um, thank you. Okay, so today, we have some cereal with rice milk and apples! Uh, sorry I don't have anything else." People groaned all throughout the table, some complaining that rice milk wasn't milk.

"And that's Joey," Diana said and pointed. "Cook."

"Yeah, not a very good one," Francis scoffed. "He practically feeds us cereal and his weird concoction foods that mainly consist of sugar, BBQ, frying oil, and puff pastry. If he says that there's a special up at front, avoid it," Francis warned. "I mean, literally, he says that they're good for you, but I mean, it's deep fried sugar! How can that in anyway be healthy?"

"If it makes you happy, does the soul count?" Vanellope asked.

"When you know what you're eating, there's no way to be happy." Jordan shook his head sadly.

"Can someone remind me why he's the cook here?" Ralph asked.

"Hi!" Hiro turned to see Joey right behind him. "Would you like a special? It's still fresh!" he said in a nasally voice.

Hiro glanced over at Francis shaking his head, and Jordan, who was nodding. "Uh...no. No, thanks. I'm good. But thanks," Hiro added quickly.

Joey nodded. "Okay. Maybe another time. Oh, by the way, don't listen to those bozos you're sitting with. They don't know what's good. My specials are the best. You should try them sometime," Joey insisted.

"Absolutely." Hiro grinned.

When Joey left, Francis nodded his head approvingly. "Good choice."

"I just kinda wanted him to eat it to see what he had this time," Jordan sighed, clearly disappointed. "And I wanted to see Hiro's face, too."

( 0—0 )

"Hey, mind if I tag along with you?" Diana asked after breakfast. "I'm the self-elected morale officer."

"Really?" Hiro asked.

"No."

"Oh." Hiro shrugged. "Sure. I still need to know my way around this place, so I could use all the help I can get," he laughed and Vanellope followed them. "So, uh, how did you get in?" he asked, trying to start conversation.

"Oh, apparently, all those science classes I took paid off." Diana shrugged. "I'm basically GoGo's scientist. If they find something new, I take a look at it. I also know a lot about diseases and viruses. But really, I'm a total particle freak. Analyzing and identifying particles is _so fun_. How did you get in?"

"Uh, I guess I got in because I'm really good with mechanics and computers. I also like to invent."

"Are there others with you?" Diana asked.

"He has a brother," Vanellope said. "He's with Felix right now."

Diana slowed her pace down. "Wait. I-is he alright? Is he hurt?" she asked, concerned. "Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Were you and your brother out in the ruins?" she asked. "With the Cybugs?"

Hiro nodded and kicked at the ground with his foot. "He's...really not in good shape right now," he said. "He was— _we_ were attacked by Cybugs (he was still struggling with that word), and he got hurt. He has an infection right now, and I think it's spreading."

Diana stopped. "Did I ever mention that I'm good with viruses and diseases? Let me see him," she said.

Vanellope led them to the large canopy, where Diana stepped inside and immediately flew to the table where Tadashi was. He was sitting up and he looked fully awake now. He smiled when he saw Hiro. "Hey."

"Hey." Hiro smiled back and sat down on the table next to him. "You feeling better?" he asked. Tadashi nodded. "Are you..." He looked him over. "All better yet?" he asked slowly, hoping that the answer was a yes.

Tadashi shook his head. He pointed behind him at Felix. "That guy over there say I still have some sort of infection."

"Yes, you do," Felix murmured from organizing his jars of various liquids. "And that infection won't go away if don't treat it properly, so stop whining about wanting to go out," he said. "Now where did I put that penicillin?" he muttered and held up a bottle, squinting at the tiny label.

"I wasn't whining," Tadashi muttered. "I was just...impatient." He looked back at Hiro. "And you still need to tell me what's going on."

Diana bent down. "Can I take a look at your leg?" she asked and started to undo the wrapping, not bothering to see if Felix objected, which he did.

Hiro told an abbreviated story of the recent events.

Tadashi stared at him. "That took only ten seconds."

"Long story short." Hiro shrugged.

"Um, Felix?" Diana called.

Felix came over with his bottle of penicillin. "What can I do for you, Diana?" he asked, screwing the lid of the bottle off.

Diana looked up at him. "Could I take a sample of some of his blood in his legs back to my lab?" she asked.

Felix set the bottle down on the table and sighed. "Well, alright," he said. He grabbed a syringe and handed it to her. She took it and looked up at Tadashi. He shrugged. She injected the needle and took a small sample of his blood.

"And that's Diana," Hiro said.

"Hi! Nice to meet you!" she shook Tadashi's hand. "While you were in the ruins, did you know about anything weird in your blood?" she asked.

Tadashi shook his head.

"Then I'm gonna find out. Sorry, I can't talk right now." She rushed out of the canopy without another word. Hiro blinked.

"Okay. That _was_ Diana," Vanellope corrected him.

"Hiro, are you sure about joining?" Tadashi asked.

Hiro looked up at him, confused. "Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Tadashi glanced at Vanellope wearily. She turned around and left. "Look, Hiro, we still need to find Aunt Cass and Baymax. This probably means that your first duty will be to this group, so that won't leave much time to do that." Tadashi sighed. "I'm not sure how this is going to work out."

Hiro looked down. He hadn't thought about that. Another idea crept into his mind. "Well, I might go out on a scout group, so maybe I can keep an eye out for them while I'm out there. And, if I get to lead my own patrol, I can look for them too." He shrugged. "I think they also have the resources to find them. And then we can go out in groups instead of just the two of us. We'd have a better chance of finding them that way," he suggested. "I think it could work."

"But we hardly know these people," Tadashi argued. "We don't know what they're like, or what they do, or anything. I mean, can we really trust them?"

Hiro gave him a look. "They helped you with your injuries, without even knowing who we were, they didn't poison you or anything, you're still alive. Those are pretty good signs to me."

Tadashi pursed his lips. "Is the food better?" he asked.

Hiro nodded. "Much better. Even if they have rice milk."

Tadashi clasped his hands together and twiddled his thumbs. Hiro waited for a response. Tadashi groaned and craned his neck. "If we're going to find them," he concluded with a sigh, "then you have to get out there as much as possible. Do they pick who's on the patrol?"

"I think so."

"Then try to get yourself picked as often as you can, and see if you can start leading patrols of your own."

"But GoGo doesn't know about Aunt Cass. Well, she does, but in order to join, I had to give up any idea that she was alive. I lied so I could get in. So if we're going to do this, then we have to keep it quiet," Hiro said.

"You lied to _GoGo_?" Felix gasped. The two brothers turned to give him a look. Felix looked at one and then the other before he sighed and held up his hands. "Alright, alright. Your secret's safe with me," he said reluctantly. "But I'm not to be expected to have _ANYTHING_ to do with what you're doing!" He crossed his arms firmly, with a look of determination. "And nothing's gonna change my mind about that."

Hiro nodded. He looked back at Tadashi and grinned. "Tomorrow, I'm going to learn how to shoot a gun. Once I know how to do that, I should be able to be chosen for a patrol. Then I can start looking for them," he said.

Tadashi gripped his shoulder firmly. "Then tomorrow, you've got some shooting to learn."

( 0—0 )

"Um, is... there something I can...fix, or something? I know it sounds odd," Hiro asked and shrugged. "I need to do something."

Vanellope shook her head. "No. It doesn't." She started toward a tent. "We have this place where we just toss everything that doesn't work, so that someone can use the scrap pieces. It's literally full of junk." She pulled aside the tent flap.

Her word was true. Inside were heaps of broken and wrecked items and there was even a busted laptop.

Vanellope saw junk.

Hiro saw treasure. His eyes widened.

Vanellope let out a breath. "Okay. Fine, well, tools are right there," she said and pointed at a tool box in the corner. "Enjoy." She turned to leave.

After an hour of his task, Hiro was getting bored with fixing these things. Currently, he had fixed the flashlight, a number of talk coms, a phone, two cameras, a computer, and several other things. These people were throwing away perfectly good stuff! He even found a talk com that didn't need fixing at all. It just needed its receiver cleaned, which he did in a jiffy. He craned his neck and let out a puff, wiping sweat from his forehead. It was hot in here. He stood up and stretched out his legs, reaching high above his head before sitting back down again. He was about to reach for another flashlight when he drew his hand back.

He wanted to be creating. Like back at the lab at Tadashi's college. And he already knew exactly what to build. He grabbed that flashlight and a screwdriver, and started to take it apart, pulling out the pieces he needed. He worked for another half hour when he inspected his work. It looked like a ball, the size of a baseball, with a small glass lens in the middle and a set of six buttons on the side.

A gun aiming laser. He let out a tired breath and set it down. It wasn't done yet. But it would be. He jolted when he heard foot steps outside. He turned around. "Hey, Vanellope, guess what? I started to—"

GoGo. She looked around slowly. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Hiro bit his tongue. "Yeah, uh, I was fixing stuff," he said and gestured to his neat array of restored items. "You can test them all if you want," he offered.

GoGo grabbed the flashlight and flicked it on. A beam of light was projected. She tossed in the air and caught it with a swipe, looking down at him. "You're doing some good work here. But you need to come with me. Now."

Hiro stood up and dusted himself off. "Why?" he asked. "Is it lunch?"

She nodded. "Yeah. But that's not the reason," she said and popped a gum bubble. "I'm moving your shooting lessons to today," she said. "Today, as in, now."

Hiro felt himself grow hot as his face fell. "Today?" he asked, a sinking feeling growing in his gut. "Now?"

GoGo nodded.

"Yeah, uh, sure. Right." Hiro set his tools down, sliding his new project into his jacket pocket reluctantly and followed her outside.

And outside was a woman with boy cut blonde hair, and hard eyes that stared at him intently. She had her arms crossed over her chest with a very, very, large rifle slung over her shoulder. She had tall, leather boots, with tight jeans, a white tank top and a black jacket. And, of course, a black wristband. "Hey, hot-head," she said in a southern accent. "Think you're ready to shoot?"

"Hiro, this is Calhoun." GoGo held out a hand. "She'll teach you how to use your gun," she said.

Calhoun stalked away without a word and Hiro followed her obediently. He could've sworn that GoGo was smirking.

( 0—0 )

"Okay, so here's the deal." Calhoun turned around to face Hiro. "When you hit five bull's eyes, then I'll let you go get lunch. Got it?" she asked.

Hiro nodded.

"Cat got your tongue?" Calhoun smirked sarcastically.

Hiro shook his head. "I mean...no," he said quickly.

"Listen up! I'm not going to say this twice. If you want to go pee-pee in your big-boy slacks, keep it to yourself," she demanded. Loudly.

"Yes," Hiro said and nodded his head slowly.

Calhoun took a step back and rested her hand on her hip. "Good. Now, stand here." She pointed right next to her. Hiro walked over, trying to hide any signs of trembling from Calhoun's watchful eyes. He stood right underneath her finger. "Now get your gun." He tried to sling his gun off his shoulder, getting it tangled in his arm and over his head. "No. Look, how do you like to wear your gun?" she asked.

"Over my right shoulder."

"Then pay attention. When you sling off your gun, you need to be quick. In one second, _anything_ could happen. So look." She slung her own gun over her right shoulder. "When you have your gun here, then you can keep your hand behind it. Like this. So when you need it, you can just push it forward and slide it off, and it's already in your hand." She demonstrated, keeping her hand under the barrel and sliding it off smoothly. She nodded her head at Hiro. "Try it."

Hiro slung the gun on his shoulder again, and kept his hand under the barrel. He let out a breath. Then he slowly lifted it with his hand, and the strap seemed to slide of his shoulder naturally as he lifted the gun with both his hands, keeping it propped against his shoulder. He looked at Calhoun, waiting for a response.

"Too choppy. Do it again," she said. Hiro repeated the process over and over again until he felt like it was the only thing his arms could do. "Ah, that's good enough," she relented and came up to him. "Now. You want to be able to actually hit the Cybugs, not just threaten them with a barrel to their eyes." She squatted next to him and pointed. "See those crates over there?"

Ahead were stacks of wooden crates. Hiro nodded. "I mean, yeah," he said quickly.

"So when you're shooting a gun like this, yeah, keep it propped against here. The force of the recoil should go into the shoulder. Yeah, that's it. Okay, now, shoot at that stack of crates in the middle," she said and stood back. The boy made no movement. "Well what are you waiting for?" Calhoun demanded.

Hiro stood, frozen. "W-what do I aim with?" he asked.

"What are you, _thick_? You use the sights!" Calhoun yelled, resting a heavy finger on the long scope on top of his gun. "What do you think this is for?"

Hiro nodded. "Okay. Okay. Okay. I got it." Calhoun stepped back once more. Peering through the scope with one eye, he guessed that the little cross was what he aimed with. Lining it up carefully with the center of the top crate about a few yards away. The longer he waited, the more his muscles strained to keep from shaking. This gun was _heavy_. He pulled the trigger and a loud crack echoed through, making Hiro's ears ring. He lowered the gun and looked at the crate, looking for a hole. "Ukhgem," Calhoun cleared her throat. She pointed. Several feet away was a small plume of dust in the ground. Hiro had missed by what seemed like a mile. He let out a disappointed scowl. "When you lower a gun, make sure it's not pointing at anyone. Including yourself," Calhoun snickered, smirking. Hiro turned to look at her confused. She nodded at his feet. His gun was pointed at the smack middle of his left foot. He pointed the gun away. Calhoun crossed her arms and nodded at the crates. "Again."

( 0—0 )

Hiro fired endlessly on, missing and missing. One time, he had shot the very bottom corner of the crate stack, but Calhoun didn't count it. GoGo sat at distance, watching the two from a chair. Inside, she was laughing and chortling at the boy's struggle. Calhoun was the right choice.

"How's he doing?"

GoGo turned around. "He's horrible," she chuckled. "He can't even hit the wide side of a barn." GoGo let out another laugh as Calhoun let out another yell at Hiro, wincing with the hurt of Calhoun's voice as she called him a vulgar name.

Diana furrowed her brow. "GoGo," she murmured. "Calhoun? As his first shooting teacher? She orders perfection! And he's only a newbie!" she protested, keeping her voice soft.

"That's what I want from him, Diana." GoGo popped a gum bubble. "If he's going to stay, I want perfection." She snickered when he made his first close-enough-for-now bulls eye.

Diana looked down at him with sympathy, switching to GoGo with a look of disapproval. "You know, you shouldn't be laughing," she said. "At him." GoGo turned to look at her. "Who are you to judge? Most people who start with Calhoun can't make a bull's eyes within the hour. And you were as bad as he was once."

GoGo pursed her lips and glanced away. She stood still for a minute. "Don't you have something to do?" she asked coldly.

Diana drew back at the remark, but put on a brave face. "Actually, I do," she said and briskly turned and walked away.

GoGo looked at Hiro's face. Straining to please Calhoun, his face was dripping with sweat. His throat was probably parched. At this rate, he wouldn't get anything to eat or drink until dinner. She glanced back at Diana's shrinking figure in the distance. Then she got up and approached Calhoun.

"You need to shoot fast, or your arm will get shaky, and ruin your shot! So shoot _faster to get better shots._ It's simple logic," Calhoun barked. Hiro turned away and picked up his gun. He held it and aimed quickly, pulling the trigger. The crack rang in his ears. He looked at the crate. The hole was near the top left corner of the top crate. Hiro let out a frustrated growl. So did his stomach. "Good job!" Calhoun said. "Keep it up at this rate, and you'll be able to shoot a gun _when you're 50_!" she yelled.

"Calhoun," Hiro started, "Can I please go get something to eat?" he asked.

"No. Four more bull's eyes and _then you can go_ ," she hissed and held up four fingers. "Not before."

"Calhoun, I don't work well with an empty stomach," Hiro protested. "If I get something to eat, then maybe I can shoot better."

"Look here, pal, I don't—"

"Calhoun." She turned. "I think he's done for the day," GoGo said stiffly.

Calhoun and Hiro looked at each other, surprised. "But GoGo, he's not even—"

"Calhoun," GoGo cut her off. "Hiro's done for the day. He can have lunch."

"With...all due respect," Hiro stepped forward slowly. The two girls looked at him. "Uh, I…want to keep shooting," he confessed.

"What?" GoGo asked, baffled. "You just said—"

"I just wanted to eat," Hiro clarified. "But I don't want to stop shooting." He held his breath to see what they would say. GoGo took a step back. "I'll get you both something to eat, and then you can continue," GoGo said and walked away without another word.

Calhoun stared at Hiro oddly when she'd left. "You know, most of my students would've taken the chance to get out," she said, peering at Hiro with a look of suspicion. "But you want to stay. Even though I just called you a worthless, good for nothing, blind, cretin. You still want to stay."

Hiro shrugged. "Uh, I guess...I just...I dunno," he said, not wanting to confess his true reasons. He looked up at her.

Calhoun let out a breath. "You're odd."

Hiro grinned. "I've known it since birth."

Calhoun regarded him for a moment. "Okay. Let's shoot some more."

( 0—0 )

Vanellope pushed her way past a group of men, looking around. Where _was he_? Nobody around here was going to know. Gadoy. She squeezed past two teenage girls and nearly stumbled into another man, who helped steady herself. She thanked him and dusted herself off. _Okay. Which tent was it? Let's see._ She crossed her arms, thinking. Oh, this tent was it. She cleared her throat. "Hiro?" she asked. No reply. "Hey, Hiro." Still no reply. She let out a huff. "Hiro, are you in there?" She licked her teeth impatiently. "Is this a joke? Hiro!" Then she pushed aside the tent flap and let herself inside. She bit her lip, freezing. His jacket was tossed onto the floor. Flopped across the cot with his legs falling off the sides and his sweaty hair plastered to his face, Hiro was sleeping, exhausted. He hadn't even bothered to take his shoes off. It looked like he just collapsed onto the cot.

Vanellope slowly backed out of the tent and closed the flap behind her. Was his lesson with Calhoun that bad? It looked like she would have to wait a few more hours for him to wake up. Rats. She went over to a fire pit where several people chatted about Monet. She looked up the sky. Deep blue with hints of purple and pink. A few stars had already come out. She let out a breath and shoved her hands into her kangaroo pocket. "Vanellope?"

Vanellope whirled around. Hiro ran his fingers through his hair. He looked really tired. "I thought I heard you."

"Oh! Uh," Vanellope shrugged. "I...I didn't want to wake you," she admitted sheepishly and toyed with her black ponytail. "You were sleeping."

"I wasn't sleeping," Hiro told her with a shake of his head. "I was just lying there. Awake. I guess.

"Then why didn't you say something?" Vanellope crossed her arms.

Hiro shook his head. "I don't know."

"Did the shooting lessons go…okay? It looks like it didn't."

Hiro shrugged. "It went okay." Hiro looked down at the ground. "I finally made five bulls eyes by six thirty."

They stood there for a minute. Vanellope drew in a breath. "So, uh," she chuckled breathlessly, "I wanted to tell you. I uh, talked—no, _argued_ —with GoGo, and…she says that I can take you out on a patrol next Thursday," she said excitedly.

Hiro perked up, confused. "What?" he asked, furrowing his brow. "But I can't even shoot well yet," he protested.

Vanellope smiled. "She said that the way you stayed with Calhoun to shoot was something she'd never seen. And she thought that maybe, if you keep it up at this rate, you can start going out on patrols early, as long as it's with me or Wasabi." She leaned closer to him on one foot. "Don't tell GoGo I told you."

"I feel like that was too soon."

Vanellope stopped. She furrowed her brow. "It was." Then she shrugged. "As I said. Probably cuz she thinks you're ready."

Hiro stared at her, a race of thoughts running through his head. This was the door to go find Aunt Cass. And it was coming so soon. He could go on a patrol in three days. Vanellope watched him intently. She…had protested to GoGo. For him. Just so he could go on a scout patrol. He stood there, not knowing what to think. But she'd vouched for him. "Thanks," he said. He would have to go tell Tadashi tonight. He held out a fist to Vanellope. "Fist bump."

Vanellope stared at him. "What?"

"Fist bump. You know?"

"Oh, I call it top shelf," she said.

"Friends?" he asked.

Vanellope stared at him. She stared at him for another moment, feeling her face grow hot. She returned the smile with one of her own. "Friends." She bumped fists. Hiro made an explosion sound effect. "Top shelf." Vanellope grinned.


	5. Chapter IV: First Patrol

The days wore on like molasses. Hiro practiced shooting. Tadashi still had an infection. Diana was still running tests. Nothing out of the norm. He passed the time fixing more gadgets and gizmos and working on his gun aiming laser. It had a glass lens, an un-functional laser, and it had expanded, but it was still unfinished.

Jordan had been playing card games with him lately, and Hiro now knew the ins and outs of war, set, butterscotch, and hearts.

Sitting at a small, folding table, Hiro glanced up from his fan of cards. Jordan did the same. Hiro narrowed his eyes with a sly grin as Jordan placed a queen on top of a large row of cards and shot him a smug look. Hiro placed down his king and scooped up all the cards on the shoddy little table. "And that's all for me." He grinned and placed the cards in his deck with a little sigh. "Well, Jordan, this doesn't seem to be your game."

Jordan glanced down at his wimpy deck of twenty cards and gave a little pout. "You're totally killing me, here," he said and threw his deck down. "I surrender." He raised his hands. "Just say it. You win."

"Oh come on, Jordan," Hiro rebutted. "Be a sport. Let's finish this game."

"No, no," Jordan said, crossing his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair. "I'm dead, and we both know it. Good game." Jordan stuck his hand out, but Hiro just stared at it. Jordan sighed. "Alright. Alright, let's finish the dumb game," He relented and scooped up his cards again.

Hiro knew he was gonna win this. But this had to be finished fair and square. The two played down their cards, and Jordan's pile grew in an alarming rate. "One, two, three, four, I declare war," the two said over and over again.

Hiro played a two.

Jordan played a two.

Hiro played a queen.

Jordan played a queen.

Hiro played an eight.

Jordan played an eight.

Hiro played a king.

Jordan played a king.

Hiro played another king.

Jordan played an ace.

Hiro's jaw hit the table as Jordan scooped up the cards. He looked back at his last card.

A three.

Hiro let out a disgusted sigh and tossed the card on the table.

"Aw, come on," Jordan said. "Be a sport. Let's finish the game," he teased. "Just think what would've happened if I had given up." Jordan tossed his cards onto the table, squashing Hiro's three.

"Hey, guys!" Vanellope ran up to the two. "Guess what?" she puffed and bent over, her hands on her knees, breathing heavily. "Gimme a sec. Hah. Hah. Hooh. Okay." She bent back up again. "We're on the next patrol for 4:30. it's going to be you two, me, and Wasabi."

Jordan glanced down at his watch. "Which means we should get ready."

"Yeah." Vanellope rubbed her hands together. "This is going to be exciting."

Hiro exhaled. "I just hope I won't make an idiot of myself and shoot someone's foot or something."

"Nah, you're too good. You won't."

Jordan reemerged with his gun. The two hadn't even noticed he was gone. Jordan checked the cartridge and slide it back in. "Okay. I'm ready. Let's go shoot some Cybug! WHOO!" he whooped.

( 0—0 )

"Guys," Wasabi called as he walked up to the three. Hiro, Vanellope, and Jordan perked up when they saw him. "We got bumped back to 4:55."

"What?" Vanellope rubbed her temples. "I thought it's usually 4: _45_."

"It is. The other patrol's late. Don't know what's going on yet."

"Wait. Is that bad?" Hiro piped up. "You guys are acting as if this is bad."

"It is. Scouting patrols are supposed to be back early or on time. If they're late, they're either lost, stranded, or Cybugs," Jordan said, counting off his fingers. "We almost never get lost, so either they're stranded, or they got attacked by Cybugs. If they're not back soon, we'll probably have to cancel scouting and go find them." He blew a strand of dark hair with a huff.

" _Wasabi_ ," A crackling voice barked. " _This is Andy._ "

Wasabi reached for his com. "Wasabi here," he answered.

Static. " _Wasabi, you and your patrol are clear to leave. The other patrol just came in. They were in a scrape with a couple dozen Cybugs. Steer clear of the western part of the ruins_ ," Andy warned with a crackle of static.

"Copy that. Wasabi out." Wasabi reattached the com to his belt. "Well I guess that's us." He ushered them away. "So we should get—"

" _Wasabi?_ " another voice crackled.

Wasabi let out an annoyed breath, grabbing his talk com. "Here."

" _Wasabi, I understand Hiro's going with you_ ," GoGo remarked. " _Since he hasn't completed his training, I'm sending Francis and Taffyta with you guys. They know already. They're by your jeep, ready to be picked up. GoGo out._ " Static buzzed before the was a click on the other end.

Wasabi grunted in reply and slid the com back on his belt. "Taffyta. Great," he muttered and continued on. Hiro wasn't completely sure, but he got the sense that Wasabi didn't like whoever Taffyta was. "So anyway, I—"

" _Hey 'Sab. You got a minute_?"

Wasabi bit his lip and stiffly grabbed his com. " _Yesh_ ," he muttered.

" _Hey, is Hiro with you?_ " Diana asked.

"Uh huh _._ "

" _Okay. I know you guys are leaving in a minute, so just tell him that the sample of Tadashi's blood is done. Diana out._ "

Wasabi shoved the com back into his belt, stuffing it in violently, as if he wanted to throw it on the ground. "Tadashi's blood sample is done." He led them over to the canopy with vehicles, where he opened the door to the red jeep they had ridden back in what seemed like yesterday. "Yo Francis! Hurry up!" Wasabi waved over at the jeep.

Nearby, Francis was talking to two girls. One had green hair pulled into two pony tails. The other had short platinum blonde hair that was perfectly straight, with a sparkly pink tank top. The way she stood seemed to suggest that in a high school setting, she would be a 'cool girl.' Both were around Francis' age. He turned his head when he heard Wasabi calling. "Okay!" he shouted. "I'll see you later Cadence," he said to the green haired girl.

"Okay. See you later." 'Cadence' smiled back.

The other girl rolled her eyes. "Let's _go_ already!" she said, irritated, and strode after the jeep. Francis ducked his head a little bit, and smiled back at Cadence before catching up with the other girl. "A patrol. Oh wow. I'm flattered," The girl said sarcastically and jumped up into the jeep.

Hiro winced as she plopped herself next to him and crossed her legs huffily. This couldn't be Taffyta. Hiro abhorred slowly. He was starting to realize why Wasabi didn't like this girl. Well…maybe she had a bad day. Francis climbed in and closed the door with a slam, looking out the window at Cadence, who waved. Francis waved back. The backseat was squished with the four kids. Vanellope and Francis had the pleasure of getting the window seats, and Hiro and Taffyta had the _delightful_ pleasure of getting squished next to each other.

"Who is _he_?" Taffyta asked.

"Taffyta, don't be rude," Francis protested.

"I'm not being _rude._ I was just asking who he was," she said. "And I told you to call me Taffy. Taffyta is so annoying _._ "

"Look. It's rude to refer to someone in the third person. He's new, he's fitting in, leave him alone," Vanellope said with an exasperated wave of her hands. She shot a withering look at Taffyta before looking out the window. "The last thing he needs is you poking around."

"I'm Hiro," he said and extended a hand to her, trying to be nice.

Taffyta stared at it like it was a dying, diseased rat. She sniffed disdainfully. "Yeah. That's nice." She looked away as if she was saying ' _drop dead._ '

Hiro gritted his teeth. "Fine. Whatever," he muttered.

"I'm _Taffyta_ ," she said quickly. "Can you scoot over a bit? I'm feel like I'm suffocating in here." She fanned her face with her hand.

Hiro grumpily tried to scoot over, but now he was squished into Vanellope. "How can you stand her?" Hiro hissed under his breath.

Vanellope shook her head. "I don't," she growled. "She is so annoying and she hits on everyone," she muttered. Thankfully, Taffyta was trying to start a conversation with Francis, blocking out their muttering. "Francis is her main target right now. But he likes Cadence," Vanellope explained. "So I feel awful for him right now. And Francis doesn't have to guts to tell Taffyta that he doesn't like her, because she'll throw a fit about how everybody hates her, or something dumb like that." Vanellope looked out the window again.

Hiro let out a small breath and wished he could shrink back into nothing. Jordan was in a deep conversation with Wasabi about cars, while Taffyta talked about girlish nonsense that no boy wants to talk about. Vanellope was silent.

When the jeep was parked behind a heap of rubble, they clambered out. Hiro drew in a breath. He hadn't been here for days. And he secretly wished that he would never have to see it again. The screams seemed blazed in his mind and he could almost see that little girl's face. Like a nightmare. He slowly looked up at the worn and barren skyscrapers. Everything was destroyed. Hiro couldn't help but feel sad to see his home in ruins like this. Overrun by Cybugs and on the verge of—

"So where are we going?" Taffyta interrupted his thoughts.

"This way," Wasabi nodded down the street. They started their trek, keeping an eye for any Cybugs. "Okay," Wasabi said and stopped at a cross section in the street. "So we need water, clothes, and batteries. Any ideas?" he asked.

"We could try the corner shop for batteries," Francis suggested with a shrug. "I know it's a little rundown, but that's where I got mine."

Wasabi nodded. "Okay. You know where it is, lead on."

Francis took the lead and walked down the streets silently. The sidewalk was chipped and cracked with sharp hunks broken out of it. After a ten-minute walk, "Hey. We're here," Francis announced. The others fell silent. In front of them, was a heap of rubble and wreckage, and an upside-down car was tossed on top.

"Yeah. Great." Jordan coughed into his fist. "Uh, where's the corner store?"

"Um," Francis started, rubbing his neck. "Underneath."

"Under—" Vanellope started and quickly stopped herself, letting out a breath and looking away. "Underneath."

"This is good." Wasabi looked back at them. "If it's under here, then it probably hasn't been touched, which means that there should be a lot of good stuff. But we need to hurry." He slid his gun back over his shoulder. "Let's get to it." He knelt down and heaved away a broken slab a cement. Hesitantly, the others joined in, tossing the rubble away, slowly digging out what was left of the corner store. Taffyta knelt down as well and pulled at rocks, tossing them aside. Jordan clambered up to the top and started to shove the rubble off with his foot, making sure it slid off away from the others. Vanellope looked around. She let out a nervous breath and continued to dig.

"What?" Hiro asked.

"What?" She looked up at him.

"You were looking around."

"Oh." She glanced around again. "Others," she explained.

Hiro raised an eyebrow. "Others?" he asked, confused.

"The other gangs. There're two out there. We fight for supplies sometimes. If they catch us, I'm not sure I want to see how this ends." Vanellope turned back to pulling the rubble out.

Hiro wrapped his hands around a rather large rock and pulled. It barely budged. Hiro tried again, straining, but the rock hardly moved. Clambering up a bit, he pushed it hard with his feet. The rock slid down a bit. Hiro came down again and yanked it out, letting it smash against the pavement. Grabbing another rock, he pulled it away, revealing a hand with little, white, lifeless fingers. Hiro let out a scream and fell back. The others froze and turned to him. Taffyta let out a little shriek of her own as Hiro looked away and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Hiro! Quiet! What is it?" Wasabi asked, wincing.

"T-t-t-t-there's s-someone under there," Hiro stammered and swallowed.

Jordan slid down to Hiro and looked at the hand. He looked at Hiro. Hiro looked back at him. Without a word, the two boys slowly lifted the rubble up and threw it away. The rest of the body was under a huge slab of concrete. Jordan grabbed one end and Hiro grabbed the other. Hiro mouthed _one, two, three,_ and they lifted it, just able to move it to the side of the body. Jordan let out a yelp of his own and quickly looked up at them, his eyes haunted. Hiro could feel himself shaking as Vanellope grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

Wasabi joined him. "Do you know her?" he asked, looking down at the girl. Hiro shook his head. Lying. The magenta dress. The little face. It was the little girl he had seen on the sidewalk. The girl he'd left behind. Wasabi looked at the others. Even Taffyta was silent. "Does anybody else know her?" The others shook their heads. Wasabi nodded. "I'll...move her," he said quietly and lifted the limp form in his arms, carrying her away. Hiro took one more glance. Her face. He looked away again.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Vanellope asked, looking up at him softly.

Hiro only nodded. "I'm fine." Inside, he was shaken. He had _left_ her there. He saw her, and he could have done something. But he _left her there._ Like everyone else. She could've been alive if he had just run over and grabbed her. It was his fault that she was dead. He was responsible for the death of a five-year-old girl. Hiro could feel his eyes burning. He was ashamed of himself. Why? Why did she have to die? Why didn't he _grab_ her hand? Why didn't he—!

"Hey," Vanellope said, snapping out of his thoughts. He looked over at her, but couldn't afford to meet her gaze. He looked down again. "It's okay," she reassured. _Of course it's not ''okay.''_ He thought bitterly.

"We all feel the same way. There was nothing we could do for her."

 _Yes. Yes there was._ Hiro ripped his arm out of Vanellope's grasp and knelt down, pulling at the rubble. _There was._ He shrugged off Vanellope's hand when she laid it on his shoulder.

She huffed and turned back to digging, since Hiro obviously didn't want to be helped.

"Hey. I think I found a way in," Jordan announced from the top.

"Really? How?" Francis scrambled up, nearly slipping.

Jordan pointed down at a very small hole, only wide enough for his arm. "This goes straight down to the front door. The part of the roof that shielded the door from the rain also shielded the rubble. If we can get down there, we can get inside the store. It's like a pocket." He placed his hands on his hips proudly with a smug look on his face. Like he was trying to forget the girl.

"Okay." Francis pulled away a broken slab of concrete. "Let's do it."

"Careful!" Wasabi shouted up at them. "Don't make it collapse."

The others stopped digging as Francis and Jordan managed a hole, just big enough for both of them. They slung their guns on their shoulders, grabbed a pair of drawstring bags, and lowered themselves down. Taffyta slowly climbed up and carefully peered down the hole. "Are you okay, Francis?" she called.

"Yeah," Jordan called coldly. "We're okay. Don't make the hole collapse, Taffyta," he reprimanded.

"Oh! Right." Taffyta chuckled nervously and backed down slowly.

Hiro sat down on the broken curb and ran his fingers through his hair. He hung his head on his knees. Footsteps crunch on the broken cement and stopped in front of him. Through his black bangs, he could see the toecaps of Vanellope's boots. "Hey," she said gently. "Um," she started and looked at her hands. "Are you a little more cooperative yet?" she asked slowly.

"Look, I'm _fine_ ," Hiro spat. "Just leave me alone."

Vanellope drew back. Then she let out a stiff breath and she narrowed her eyes. "Look. I was just trying to be _nice_ to you. You don't have to be _rude_ ," she rebutted icily. "I mean, the least you could do is say _nothing._ You know?"

Hiro sighed and looked up at her regretfully. "Sorry," he breathed. He looked down again. "I'm just not in the best mood right now."

Vanellope's sat down next to him. "Did something happen? You looked like you saw a ghost."

"What do you mean?"

"The girl," Vanellope said quietly. "You looked like you knew her."

Hiro looked away. "She was my neighbor's daughter," he lied. "She would come to our cafe and order waffles with chocolate milk every time."

"Oh." Vanellope looked away again. "So, you did know her?"

Hiro nodded in reply. "You could say I did."

( 0—0 )

Jordan looked around. Inside Francis's corner store, were loads and loads of stuff. Good stuff. Paper towels, pills, oatmeal, energy bars, and batteries, of course. He and Francis grabbed them and stuffed it into the bags. Jordan grabbed every single energy bar. This would be like heaven compared to Joey's 'specials.' No more rice milk and raisin bran for breakfast.

It was a rundown, and the floor could use a good scrubbing. As could the counter. Of course, it could do without the rubble on the roof and a caved in ceiling. The walls were plastered with posters, lottery signs, and an _OPEN_ neon sat dead in the window. He watched as Francis scoured the shelves. Jordan grabbed a container of coffee. "So you came for batteries?" he asked casually.

"Yep. I needed AA's for my watch and the remote control for my robot spider," Francis said and grabbed a packet of AA's. "But the guy always smoked. There should be an ashtray on the counter." Jordan spied the tray, filled with cigarette butts. "Also, I think there're two vending machines in the back."

"Cool." Jordan walked briskly to the back of the shop. One was full with drinks and sodas, and the other was full of chips and candy bars. He grinned and chuckled childishly as he grabbed a long piece of heating pipe lying on the floor. "Dude, check this out," Jordan called as he swung back and hit the glass as hard as he could. A sickening crack split the air and the glass shattered and splintered, falling to the floor in a tinkling rain. He turned to Francis, who was staring. "That. Was. Sick," Jordan said. "I claim the nachos!" he laughed. Francis joined him and soon, the vending machine was laid bare. Fizzy bubbles of a Fanta Orange tickled Jordan's throat as it went down. Though it was warm, it was the best thing he'd tasted in two months. He grinned at Francis, who was taking the last bite of his KitKat bar, licking his fingers.

Jordan nudged him. "C'mon. Let's get outta here."

Leaving the store, Jordan crouched down and held out his cupped hands. Francis grabbed his shoulder and stepped in his hands, and Jordan lifted him out. Francis scrambled out slowly, and offered a hand to Jordan, who took it and climbed out. "Yo! I thought I heard something breaking," Wasabi said.

Francis and Jordan looked at each other sheepishly. "Uh, we're fine. We got batteries, bars, coffee, paper towels, you know. Stuff like that," Francis said.

"Let me see," Wasabi said skeptically.

With a wilting look, the two boys handed in their bags slowly. Wasabi opened then. He groaned as he pulled out a can of Pepsi. "Trust two _teenage boys_ to go scout," he muttered. He shoved the bags back at them. "Batteries?"

They nodded. "AA's, AAA's, you name it."

Hiro and Vanellope stood up. "Okay. We got batteries. What next?" Vanellope asked and dusted her hands off. "Clothes?"

"Right. And water." Wasabi slung his gun on. "Any suggestions?"

Everyone looked at their shoes or at each other's. No one said anything. "Um," Hiro started. Wasabi turned to him. "Uh, has anybody tried the laundromat?" Hiro asked. "The Lavenderia Laundromat, maybe?" he suggested.

Wasabi looked surprised. He shook his head. "No. Actually, no we haven't. I didn't know there actually _was_ a Lavenderia Laundromat."

Hiro turned pink. "Um, my Aunt Cass goes there to...to get my...uh...tux...when something…fancy happens…" Hiro trailed off. He could hear Jordan snickering and Vanellope was trying to stifle giggles. Hiro looked embarrassed. "Anyway, let's try that place," he said quickly.

"You lead the way." Wasabi held out a hand.

Hiro hesitantly walked in the direction of the laundromat. "Tux?" Vanellope caught up to him. She giggled mockingly.

"Whatever!" Hiro turned pink again. "Look, I _hated_ that thing! I still do, and with a passion, okay? You will never see me in one of those _ever._ "

The walk wasn't too long, but Hiro's legs were starting to strain. He felt like giving a cry of relief when the laundromat came into to view. They stared up at the building, taking in its sorry condition. The roof was caving in, debris was everywhere, and it seemed dwarfed by the buildings on its either side. The pale, bleached, purple words _Lavenderia Laundromat_ looked down at them glumly with a scrub brush and bubbles on the side.

"This is it?" Taffyta asked.

Hiro nodded. "Yep," he said. "It is," he added under his breath.

"Alright, let's go," Wasabi said and walked on. Hiro was thankful that Wasabi didn't make fun of the dinky place. The door was barely hanging on its hinges and the glass and windows were shattered. Hiro and the others stepped inside cautiously. Wasabi handed them more drawstring bags. "Check the machines." The others didn't need another word. They fell upon the dryers, pulling out all the clothes into baskets and sifting through them.

Jordan whooped as he pulled out a dull, light, faded, blue plaid button down with the white words on the front. "Totally mine!" he said and stuffed it into his bag. Francis grabbed a couple of T-shirts and sweatshirts, along with pair of jeans. Hiro grabbed a pair of skinny jeans and stuffed them into his own bag with a black hoodie.

"Guys! Totally check me out!" Taffyta called. The others turned to look at her. She was holding a pink mini dress, bedecked with sequins, up to herself. "Well? How do I look?" she demanded.

Francis shrugged. Hiro shook his head. Jordan drew a finger across his neck and made a strangled noise. "Awful." Vanellope voiced all of their opinions.

Taffyta let out a huff and slapped the dress on top of her drying machine. "Okay fine! Whatever!" she yelled. "I didn't like it _anyway_ ," she muttered.

"Mm. Hiro, what do you think?" Francis held a pair of jeans up to his waist.

Hiro saw the ends drag onto the floor. He regarded it for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah. Too long."

"Yeah. I was thinking about that too," Francis said. "How 'bout this then?" He held up a brown shirt to himself, with the yellow, curvy words _Reese's_ on it.

Hiro couldn't describe it, but it looked good on him. He nodded. "Grab it."

Vanellope instantly grabbed a pink tank top and stuffed it into her bag. She held a black shirt in her hands. "Hiro?" she asked. She held it up to herself. It had pink words _SWEETNESS_ sewn on it with sequins.

Hiro nodded. "Sweet." _Why did everyone want his opinion?_

"You know, this is like clothes shopping, but better, because you don't have to pay for anything," Vanellope remarked and bagged the shirt.

"Don't forget to get clothes for others too," Wasabi called form his corner, grabbing some clothes of his own.

Hiro stuffed a few random clothes in his bag, as did the others. He stuffed in another red tank top for himself. Jordan stood and held a shirt to himself. "Totally," he smirked. It was a tiny, pink dress, with snowflakes and a picture of Elsa and Anna. Fancy words read _Sisters Forever_. They all groaned in protest.

When they had collected their clothes, they all showed each other what they had gotten. Jordan was still gawking over the button down and Francis was very attached to his Reese's shirt. Vanellope seemed to like her SWEETNESS shirt. Taffyta grumpily yanked out a gray long-sleeved shirt with a little smiley face on it. _life is good._ "This is what I got," she pouted.

Francis quickly pulled out a shirt. "Do you want this one?" he asked. It was white with sparkly strawberries on it with little faces.

Taffyta's face lit up. She grabbed the shirt. "Oh my gosh, thanks!" she said. "I love it! It's so cute!" Hiro thought it was the first time he had ever hear her say something nice. Or maybe it was just the fact that the shirt came from Francis.

Hiro perked up. "Wait. Guys, did you hear that?" he asked.

They looked at him. "Hear what?" Wasabi asked.

Hiro listened again. "No. No, it's probably nothing. Sorry," he said as he shouldered his bag. "Let's go."

"Okay now we need to find water," Wasabi said.

"Where are we gonna find water?" Francis said, a little despairingly. "There's barely any left in the entire city."

Wasabi set his face in determination and let out a sigh. "We just need to—"

"Stop!" Hiro said. "I heard it again!"

"Hiro..." Jordan groaned.

"No. No, I _hear_ it." Hiro turned out to the ruins. It was like a faint screaming. Or crying. One or the other. He took a few steps out into the street. He could hear it now. Faintly. "Someone's out there."

"Hiro, someone's always out there," Vanellope sighed. "Let's just find the water and get back. We don't have much time left. We _should_ be getting back."

Hiro ignored her. "You guys go. I'm going to take a look." And with that, he ran off down the street and started over a pile of debris.

" _HIRO_!" Wasabi hissed. "Get BACK here!" he yelled. "You can't do that!"

"Why?" Hiro asked without a backward glance.

"You can't leave the patrol, unless ordered to!" Wasabi said, holding up a finger. "It's a _rule_!" he added.

"Then order me to," Hiro called.

"Hiro, look," Vanellope called after him. "You're just a newbie."

Hiro turned around and gave her a doubtful look. "So?"

" _SO_ as in you aren't prepared for being out there alone! What if you run into a group of Cybugs?" Vanellope crossed her arms. "You can't take them alone."

"Go without me. I'll catch up," Hiro called from the other side of the debris.

"You little... Hiro, you don't understand!" Vanellope yelled after him as she climbed up the debris after him. "You don't just leave your patrol like this! We need to stay together! Hiro, get back here!" Vanellope scrambled after him. "This won't look very good on your report, Hir..." She lifted her foot over the top of the debris, expecting to see him, but he was gone. "...o." She looked back at the others. "Guys, I'm going after him," she declared.

"Vanellope! You _don't leave the patrol_!" Wasabi yelled. "We have RULES!"

Vanellope gritted her teeth. "Yeah, well, we can't just leave him here, and it's obvious he isn't coming back. Someone has to be with him. You can come if you want. But I'm going," she said and disappeared over the top of the debris.

"We should go after them," Jordan said.

"No." Wasabi grabbed Jordan's arm. Jordan looked back at him, confused. "We need to find water. Vanellope can handle herself." Wasabi pulled the rest over with him as they started looking for water. Wasabi cast one last glance at the debris pile. "I hope," he added under his breath.


	6. Chapter V: Honey Lemon

Vanellope left the chatter of the others behind her as she stumbled down the debris pile, dusting off her Capri when she hit the pavement.

Hiro was nowhere in sight. Great. Now she would have to follow the sound of the...whatever Hiro heard. What _had_ he heard? She strained to listen. Nothing. Cupping her hands around her ears, she could only hear the sound of sand stirring from the ground with a gust of dry wind.

Then she heard a faint sound.

Like a siren. That had to be it. Vanellope shielded her eyes from the glaring sun and squinted. Debris, rubble, and broken cars. _Follow the noise_. Setting out, she followed her ears. The noise was barely audible, but it was there. How in the _world_ had Hiro heard that? Her shoes crunched on the broken cement and grit as she walked through the abandoned streets. She froze and spun around when she heard rustling behind her. Raising her gun, she drew in a sharp breath.

It was nothing.

Pursing her lips, she lowered her gun. Getting jumpy, was she? She let out a nervous breath. "Okay," she muttered. _Find that dumb guy and get out of here. Let's go_.

About ten minutes later, Hiro was still nowhere to be found. Vanellope was starting to wonder if Hiro was even out there anymore. But the noise was getting louder. The siren had turned into a wail, like someone crying. Accidentally, she tripped over a piece of broken asphalt. She shrieked and fell on her hands, scraping them. Pushing herself up, **she** groaned and inspected her shredded palms. They were bleeding and the skin was ripped. Overall, it looked nasty. Vanellope let out a disgusted groan and wiped them on her Capri again, staining her pants a dirty red. She stood up and wiped off her hands once more before walking. The pain in her palms burned so much she could hardly stand it. It hurt. A lot. She watched her step after that.

The crying got closer. Hiro couldn't be far. She hung a left around a dry, barren building, flinching as her hands touched the brick wall. Ahead, blockading the street, was a huge heap of rubble and wreckage. Vanellope let out a breath of relief. Hiro was crouching at the top, peering over the edge. She walked across the street and quietly climbed up after him. She used her hands, as painful as it was, to help steady her as she crept up behind him. Hiro was staring intently at whatever was on the other side. He hadn't noticed her.

"Hey," she said softly. Hiro suddenly jolted with a startled gasp. Vanellope held her hands up. "Whoa. It's okay. Chill," she said.

Hiro let out a breath. "Why are _you_ here?" he hissed, turning away.

"Um, making sure you don't _die_ ," Vanellope rebutted bluntly. She crouched down next to him. "What is it?"

Hiro shook his head. "I'm not sure," he breathed. "I heard it over here, but I don't see anything." He scanned the area. It was what used to be an empty lot, filled with heaps of wreckage and broken cars.

Vanellope could hear the crying, but she didn't see anything. "You're sure?"

Hiro nodded. "Do Wasabi and the others know you're out here?" he asked.

Vanellope paused. "Mm... more or less."

He looked back into the lot and stood. "I'm going to check it out."

"I'm coming with you." Vanellope stood up to follow him. They made their way down the heap and slowly stumbled to their feet in the lot. Hiro looked around nervously. The crying was loud enough that they could both tell that it seemed to come from under that car to the right. They made their way over the garbage and rubble, keeping low. Then Vanellope slipped and fell on her side with an awkward cry of pain.

The crying suddenly ceased.

Hearts pounding, Hiro and Vanellope both froze.

Whoever it was had heard them.

With no time to waste, Hiro vaulted over a cement slab and quickly made his way up the mound of wreckage, where the overturned car lay with broken, glass windows and bent doors. Hiro knelt down and opened the door.

A scream pierced the air around him. The sound made his ear's ring and he could've sworn it was loud enough to crack the rest of the glass in the car. He gasped and drew back. Making his way inside, something cold hit his leg, encasing it in something smooth and cold. Hiro let out a yelp and fell flat on his face.

"Hiro?"

Hiro pushed himself up the best he could to shake his hair out of his face. He could have sworn his jaw fell off his face. "Honey?" he asked, disbelievingly.

"Oh my gosh! HIRO!" The girl knelt down and gave him a squeeze. Blonde hair tickled his face, most of it pinned up in a sloppy bun. When the girl pulled away, he stared up at pink glasses and green eyes. "Hiro, I was so worried!" she exclaimed, her voice mingling with tears. "I didn't know what happened to you or Tadashi! Is he with you?" she asked.

"Yeah," Hiro said as he pushed himself onto his side. "But not at the moment." He groaned and looked down at his foot, which was covered with a blue goop that seemed to be hardening. "W-what is that?" he asked and tried to shake his foot free.

"Oh!" Honey exclaimed as she whipped out a small perfume bottle. "That's my new experiment," she said as she shook up the bottle and spritzed a few sprays onto the blue goop. "Sorry I had to test it on you." The blue goop which had tightened itself to Hiro's skin started to ease back. Hiro slipped his foot out of the jelly-like mass and rubbed his sore ankle.

"Hiro!" Vanellope called as she knelt outside the car. She peered in at them. "What—oh." She stopped when she saw Honey Lemon.

"Uh," Hiro grimaced. "She's my friend. You're good." He drew his leg up to him. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Honey Lemon's face clouded over. "I was hiding. From those—those—those _things_ ," she said balefully. "I…I-I lost Fred!" She broke down again. "I lost Fred!"

"Fred?" Hiro perked up. "Is he here?" he asked quickly.

Honey Lemon shook her head, blinking away tears. "No," she sniffed. "No. He isn't here. He was with me a few hours ago," she said. "But I don't know now. I found him some weeks ago, and we stayed with each other. We were hiding out at his house for some time—it's a _mansion_ , Hiro. You should have seen it. Then we went out to go find some food this morning, but we were attacked by the bugs. We were defenseless. And…I ran," she said and adjusted her glasses. "I _ran_!" She started to cry. "I just _left_ him there! On his own!" She swiped at her tears. "I last saw him at the deli across from my house," she sniffed. "Or wait. No. It was the coffee shop. Or was it...? No. It was the coffee shop."

"We should go look for him," Hiro suggested eagerly. Too eagerly.

"Hiro, wait." Vanellope backed away to let Hiro and Honey out of the car. "We need to get back," she said. "We already left the patrol, and that's bad enough. Finding another person out here? We're going to be late, and GoGo's not going to be happy."

"I don't care about GoGo," Hiro said. "We need to find Fred."

"Patrol?" Honey asked.

"Hiro, you don't understand." Vanellope grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him around. "We can't keep bringing in people from out here," she said in a low tone so Honey Lemon wouldn't hear. "If we keep doing this, we'll run out of food, water, and who knows what will happen when they bring in others too. We'll be crowded," she said earnestly. "Bringing you and Tadashi back, well, I don't know how that worked, but if Fred and Honey Lemon don't show any quality to GoGo, then there's no chance they'll stay. She'll kick them out."

"Then she'll have to go through me first!" Hiro pulled his shoulder out of Vanellope's grasp. "Are you coming?" he asked. Honey Lemon followed him. Hiro turned around to stare at Vanellope. "If this were one of your friends, wouldn't you do the same thing?" A rhetorical question, he continued down the wreckage.

Vanellope watched them go. _Would_ she? Then again, she didn't have many friends. Hiro was one of the few. She watched his shrinking figure as he walked across the lot and disappear around the corner of a building. She bit her lip and gave a glance skyward. This guy was going to be the death of her.

Vanellope hopped down after the two and jumped down to the lot. She couldn't help but use her hands, and she fell when they hit the pavement. Landing on her foot wrong, she seethed her teeth and clutched her hands close to her chest as if that would help. Willing back the tears, she stood and kept her hands in balled fists, squeezing as hard as she could to stop the pain. She jogged as best as she could around the corner of the building, where Hiro and Honey Lemon were about a block away. Vanellope went after them, but Hiro and Honey Lemon had already turned again. Ignoring the pain in her foot, she ran after them. She was going to get lost if she didn't keep up. Suddenly, she stumbled and fell against the wall of a book shop, grimacing in pain. It really hurt.

Okay, fine. Whatever. Hiro could go off with his girlfriend and she would tag along.

She slowly walked down the sidewalk and made the turn where and Hiro and Honey Lemon had disappeared. They were standing across the street, peering into some store. Honey Lemon shook her head and said something inaudible. They moved on.

Vanellope jogged across the street and peered down into a shady alley. There were a few dumpsters overflowing with ripped bags of junk. Then a gentle screeching came from behind the dumpsters. Vanellope froze.

A Cybug crawled out and blinked its green eyes at her. It screeched again, louder, and rammed at her. Vanellope screamed. She took a step back and blindly tried to walk backward. With a shriek, she fell on her rear over a broken recycle bin, scrambling backward.

Gunshots pierced the air and dented into the Cybugs side. Hiro jumped out and rolled to his knees next to Vanellope. She stared at him with wide eyes and saw Honey Lemon pulling out a couple more of her balls, poising for a throw. Hiro grabbed her arms and pulled her up. "Go! GO!" he yelled. They made a run for it. Vanellope nearly stumbled with her leg, but she kept her balance with Hiro grabbing her arm. Vanellope grabbed her gun and spun around. Before she could pull the trigger, she gasped.

A dozen of Cybugs skittered over the nearby looming building, screeching. Then it stuck her.

This was the western part of the ruins. Where they weren't supposed to be.

She fired the gun, hitting one in the eyes. It let out a final, dying screech, before it fell the ground, its mouth still open. Hiro grabbed his gun and they shot at the oncoming Cybugs. " _Honey_! GET OUT OF HERE!" Hiro yelled.

Honey Lemon didn't move. She pitched one of her balls as Vanellope watched it fly through the air and hit a Cybug on the back. The pink goop stretched around the Cybug and slowly covered its face. Then the Cybug stopped moving. Honey Lemon threw another one, covering another Cybug in orange goop. She pelted the balls one after the other. Where did she _get_ those things? The Cybugs were being taken down, one by one. Vanellope shot at the last Cybug and hit it square in the mouth. It stopped and hunkered down, collapsing in a clanking heap. She breathed heavily.

Hiro, smirked at her. "I thought you were going back," he said.

Vanellope snorted. "Well, obviously. Gadoy. You didn't even bother to check behind you. First, I scraped my hands, and then I fell on my foot funny." She held out her hands. "Yeah. Uh huh." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Sorry. I-I didn't know," Hiro apologized.

Vanellope knew he meant it, but it still didn't feel good enough. She crossed her arms and looked away, exhaling. "Yeah."

"I didn't!" Hiro protested.

"Look. Let's just find _Fred_ and get out of here," Vanellope muttered and walked over to Honey Lemon. Hiro watched her regretfully. Slowly, he sighed and followed her. "Okay, I _have_ to know what those things are," Vanellope said and pointed at the leftover balls in Honey Lemon's hands. "Whatever they are, they're amazing."

"What? These?" Honey Lemon held up the balls. "Oh, it's one of my experiments. You see, when I saw the Cybugs, I created these balls. They're made of a dash of perchloric acid, a smidge of cobalt, a _hint_ of oxygen peroxide, super-heated to 500 Kelvin. It's kinda like liquid metal embrittlement. Here. Watch this." Honey Lemon skipped out into the street to one of the goop covered Cybugs. "Here's the best part!" she called to them. She giggled and placed a finger on the goop. It instantly exploded in a cloud of blue. Vanellope stared. Honey Lemon reemerged, covered in blue dust. "TA-DA! Chemical metal embrittlement!" she exclaimed. "It can even work on tungsten carbide."

"Wow," Hiro whistled.

Honey brushed off her shoulder with little billowing clouds. "I made it when me and Fred and I were almost attacked some weeks ago."

"Speaking of Fred," Vanellope jumped, "we should go find him."

Hiro looked up at Honey Lemon. "Um, my best bet is that he's somewhere with food." He rubbed his neck. "We checked the Sweet Bean coffee shop, the deli, and the Jamaican restaurant, but he's not there."

"Um, I think he would want food that he knows. Hamburgers, or ice cream, or something along those lines," Honey offered. "I do know that his favorite place was the Triple Layer Sundae ice cream shop. I think."

"It can't hurt to check it out." Hiro nodded. "You lead the way, Honey. I've been there only once." He shouldered his gun.

Honey Lemon started down the street with Hiro and Vanellope at her heels. She looked around frantically, gazing up at long-since-dead neon signs and peering into dusty window, looking for the ice cream shop. Honey bit her nails nervously. " _I know it was here. I know it was here_ ," she whispered under her breath. "Triple Layer Sundae. Triple..." she trailed off and looked a swinging sign that was gently swaying in the dry breeze. It was dusty, and it was hard to read. Honey Lemon reached up on her tip-toes and brushed it off. It was an old-fashioned sundae cup with a vanilla sundae in it. _Triple Layer Sundae ice cream shop._ Honey gasped in excitement and fixed her glasses. Vanellope couldn't help but stare at the sundae. It made her mouth water. Vanilla was her favorite. She followed Hiro and Honey inside, pushing the broken door open as a bell tinkled above them.

The floor was hard wood where the chairs and table were, and tiled up in front of the counter. Vanellope looked at the menu. She wished she had gone to this place before. _Coffee and chocolate marble. Winter peppermint swirl. Blue, black, and red berry. Butter scotch almond. Banana splits._ She stared. Her mouth felt paper dry. "Vanilla cherry latte?" she gaped.

"I can see why Fred liked this place," Hiro murmured as he looked into the empty freezer, where the ice cream should have been displayed. He rubbed the fading stickers on the glass window. "Last I was here, I think I ordered something like Chocolate with gummy bears. I think," he added. "It was pretty good."

"I ordered Summer Cobbler swirl," Honey Lemon sighed wistfully.

"Okay. Is Fred here?" asked Vanellope quickly, trying to change the subject.

"One way to find out." Hiro vaulted over the counter and slowly started for the back door. "Fred?" he called. " _Fred_?" He pushed the door open with a creak. It was empty. He looked around. Empty.

" _YAAAAAAAAGH_!"

Hiro spun around. "FRED!"

Fred had burst out of the extra room with a coat rack held high over his head. He stopped and blinked. "Hiro?" he gasped, setting the coat rack down. "Is that really you?" He wore an aqua blue cap with tufts of red hair sticking out beneath. A little green pendant glinted around his neck. "I feel like you are Hiro, but I'm not completely convinced," he said and rubbed his chin with a skeptical expression.

"FRED!" Honey ran forward and threw her arms around Fred's neck. "You're here! I've been looking for you all over the place! I was so worried."

"Whoa, Honey? It's you!" Fred laughed. "But is that Hiro?"

"Yes, it's me!" Hiro exclaimed.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Red."

"What's your favorite soda?"

"Strawberry Ramune."

"What did I get you for your 14th birthday?"

"I got a check for 25$ and you gave me a copy of Droom."

"Have you read it?"

"Not yet. Fred, It's _me_! I pushed you into the pool at the Davis' pool party when I was eleven. Remember? You called me a dweeb for fun?" Hiro held out his hands, waving them.

Fred gasped. "HIRO!" He ran forward and squeezed him around the shoulders, swinging him around. "I've missed you, Dude! I _super duper super duper super duper_ missed you! I really missed—whoa, that's a gun." Fred observed the rifle on his back and quickly let Hiro go. "What are you doing out here?" he asked and straightened Hiro's jacket.

"We were trying to find you." Vanellope stepped forward.

Fred gasped and hid behind Hiro, holding on to his arm. "Who is this? Some sort of sniper?" Fred seethed with narrowed eyes.

"What? NO! She's a friend!" Hiro protested quickly. "Her name's Vanellope. She's with us," he said and tried in vain to detach Fred from his arm.

"Or is she really just using you for her _own evil purposes_?" Fred hissed.

"Now I'm offended." Vanellope crossed her arms.

"AH! So you are!" Fred accused.

"Fred." Honey came over and slowly tugged Fred off of Hiro. "It's okay. She's one of Hiro's _friends._ She won't hurt you," she said gently.

"Yeah? Well, he just called me evil, so I could punch him in the _nose_!" Vanellope spat and held up a fist, poised to punch.

Fred yelped and hid behind Hiro again. "Vanellope, don't make things worse." Hiro yanked himself out of Fred's grasp and walked over to her. "It's just…Fred's a little suspicious about new people. It's okay. Really. He didn't mean it. He's just obsessed with comic books. That's all."

Honey Lemon chuckled nervously. "Fred, we should get out of here," she said. "The longer we're hear, the closer it gets to dusk." She reduced her voice a low whisper.

Hiro led them out of the ice cream shop and down the street. He couldn't believe it. He found two friends on his first patrol. Tadashi would be happy too when he brought them back.

 _Back_. The word seemed to have a menacing ring to it now. Getting past GoGo with these two wasn't going to be easy. Honey Lemon, maybe, but Fred...he would cross that bridge when he came to it. And Tadashi! Was Tadashi in the gang? As soon as he got better, what would GoGo say? Hiro shook the thought out of his head.

The sun was getting lower in the sky. Hiro could feel his back sweating beneath the heat as he wiped his forehead. Had Wasabi and the others waited for them at the car? Or had they already driven off? Hiro gulped. If they left, it would mean spending the night here. Then again, Wasabi had GoGo's little sister on his patrol. He wouldn't leave her behind.

"HIRO WATCH OUT!" Vanellope shrieked. Hiro froze and spun around, stumbling over a broken-up piece or asphalt. He flapped his arms to keep him steady, but he fell with a grunt on his rear. "Hiro, don't move," Vanellope said quickly, holding out her hands.

He froze. Vanellope bent down and slowly picked up an old newspaper and pulled it aside. Underneath were a tidy row of little, metallic spheres, which had little hexagon patterns over them. She pulled aside another newspaper to reveal more. "Whoa." Hiro leaned forward to look at them. "What are they?" he asked slowly.

Vanellope bent down and slowly pressed a finger to one. The hexagon patterns lit up like tiles and fell away. Inside was a little, mechanical bug, which turned over and squealed.

"It's kind of cute," Honey said.

"Cybug eggs," Vanellope muttered. She quickly slung off her gun and shot the bug with a loud bang.

Honey froze. It completely obliterated the thing. Hiro jumped back with a yelp. That thing had been so close to his foot.

"They're activated by pressure sensors. We should shoot the rest," Vanellope said and aimed. Hiro stood up and grabbed his own gun, powering it up. They shot the eggs, one by one, the gun shots filling the air. Honey Lemon watched them without a word. Hiro shot the last one, watching it explode and sizzle. Vanellope sighed. "Okay. Let's go."

( 0—0 )

Hiro looked over his shoulder. Fred and Vanellope were getting into an argument over something, and were calmly spitting back witty remarks. Honey Lemon was trying to get them to stop. Hiro whirled around. "Guys," he said seriously. They all stopped. "You're being too loud. You need to keep it down." Hiro lowered his hand for emphasis. "It could attract unwanted attention."

Fred and Honey Lemon looked at each other nervously. "What...kind of attention?" Honey Lemon asked slowly.

"Cybugs," Hiro answered.

"And other gangs." Vanellope added.

Fred stared at them blankly. "Okay. I have no idea what you just said. It's like you just spoke in Portuguese-ian. What are Cybugs?"

"You've seen them before," Hiro said. "The mechanical bugs? They're Cybugs."

"Gangs...?" Fred asked.

"Me and Hiro come from one of the three gangs out here," Vanellope explained. "We get into fights over every little thing. Supplies, clothes, food. And especially water. Trust me, we _really_ don't want to run into them right now."

"So, get out before we're seen by gangs of bugs?" Fred asked.

"More or less. You'll pick it up," Hiro reassured.

"We have a jeep. It's not far." Vanellope slid over a piece of debris. "Actually, it's right here." She pointed over the rise.

"VANELLOPE!" Wasabi yelled from where she pointed. "GET OVER HERE!" He waved for them. He, Jordan, Francis, and Taffyta were already inside. The others were also shouting and waving for her to get in.

Vanellope quickly ran over. "Keep your voice down, 'Sab!" she hissed. "We found some others. Some of Hiro's friends and—" a crack filled the air and a rain of bullets nearly pierced Vanellope's foot. She screamed.

"GET _IN_!" Wasabi shouted. He kicked open the door and grabbed her, pushing her into the back seat with Francis and Taffyta. "There's no time!"

"Wasabi—time? Time for _what_?!" Vanellope yelled.

"We're being shot at!" Jordan yelled at her. More gun shots filled the air.

"By WHO!?" Vanellope asked as she stuck her head out the window, trying to find their attacker, but quickly ducked a gunshot.

"The other gangs!" Taffyta screamed.

"HIRO! GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE!" Jordan waved his hand.

"We need to go. We need to go. We need to go. We _really_ need to go!" Wasabi said over and over again to himself in a high pitch.

"Okay, okay!" Hiro jumped into the back seat, not bothering to sit down. He knelt on the floor and helped Honey Lemon inside the crammed jeep.

"MOVE!" Wasabi ordered.

"Move! Where?! Move where?!" Fred called out frantically as Wasabi grabbed his also and shoved him into the backseat.

"Who are they?" Taffyta wrinkled her nose.

"Wasabi, GO!" Vanellope yelled.

Wasabi stepped on the peddle. The car revved, the wheels spun, and the car sped forward. Wasabi turned the wheel. A rain of gun shots filled the air, shattering the window next him. Then he let out a sudden, agonized yell. Taffyta shrieked. "I'm shot!" Wasabi spat. "In my shoulder!"

Jordan stared at him wide eyed. "Dude! Can…can you _drive_?" he asked, panicked. Wasabi shook his head, clutching his shoulder. With no time to waste, Jordan unbuckled himself and quickly shoved Wasabi into the passenger seat, taking the wheel.

"Jordan, what are you doing!?" Hiro yelled.

"Nothing stupid, please?" Francis begged.

"Driving!" Jordan yelled above the gun shots and engine roar.

"Drive—! You've never driven a car before!" Wasabi exploded.

Jordan slammed his foot down on the pedal. "Then you'd better hang on! _It's gonna be a bumpy ride_!"


	7. Chapter VI: A New Angle

"I'M DRIVING!" Jordan yelled with glee. The Jeep's wheels spun, sending up plumes of dust. It screeched and sped across the ground while those in the back seat screamed, jostled around as if in a drying machine. Honey Lemon hit her head on the back of Jordan's chair hard and let out a sharp cry of pain. Taffyta screamed, clutching Francis and her chair for dear life.

As Vanellope shrieked, holding her hands over her head when the bullets rained down on them, Fred looked out the window. "W…we're being attacked by _gangsters_!" Fred exclaimed. "I mean, how cool is _that_? I mean it's scary, obviously, but _how cool_?!" he gawked in excitement. "JORDAN WATCH OUT!"

Dead ahead was a human barricade—other gang members, with guns aimed directly at them. They fired and the windshield splintered in a web of spider cracks. Jordan held an arm in front of his eyes as some of the glass went flying.

Taffyta shrieked. " _We're going to die_!" she wailed.

"No we're _not_ ," Jordan muttered. He jerked on the wheel, swerving the car sharply to the right. Almost doing a three-sixty, the jeep sped back for the ruins.

"Whoa! We should be going _that_ way! What are you doing?" Wasabi pointed behind them.

"Losing these guys." Jordan sported a dark grin. "Let's _do_ this." He drove down to the ruins, picking up speed.

Hiro stuck his head out the window, watching the other gang shrink into the distance. These guys meant business.

Honey Lemon groaned and pressed her hand tightly to her forehead. "Honey, are you all right?" Hiro asked, making himself heard over the car's engine and Taffyta's shrieks. She shook her head. Hiro pushed his way over to her and pulled her hand away. There was a deep bruise on her head, and a cut slowly bled. Her hand had smudged it all over her head. "J-just hang in there," he said.

Honey Lemon reached out and grabbed his hand. "Hiro, _you're_ hurt."

"W…what?" Hiro looked down at himself. A bullet had grazed his left shoulder. He hadn't even felt it. "I-it's fine," he tried to reassure her.

The buildings and empty streets sped by their windows. Vanellope scrambled over Fred, peering back into the trunk. "You found water!" she exclaimed, running her fingers along the smooth, metal canisters jostling in the trunk. Vanellope's eyes widened. "No wonder these guys are shooting at you."

"Yeah," Jordan called back from up front.

Hiro could feel his jaw drop. When she said these guys 'kill' over water, she meant 'kill.' Vanellope ducked as a bullet made a crack on the back window. She grit her teeth. "Jordan, they're following us in a car! You little..." She slung the gun off her shoulder. Sticking her head out of the window, she held out the gun and shot. Hiro watched through the fractured back window as she made chinks in their windshield. Vanellope ducked back inside.

Jordan pursed his lips. "Okay. This isn't going to work." He drove down the old streets, barely missing clumps of trash. He made a hard right, and everybody's faces were slammed against the window. Jordan nervously hummed. "Okay. Um, where do I go now?" he asked, drumming his fingers on the wheel.

Wasabi grunted. "It depends on where you're going."

"Uh," Jordan looked at the rearview mirror, which shattered with a gun shot. Jordan shielded his eyes from the glass. "Back to camp."

"Hang the next left." Wasabi pointed. "Here!" Jordan turned the wheel. "Jordan, don't crash us!" Wasabi protested. "We nearly ran into that building!"

"So it's death by crashing or death by shooting. You know, when it comes down to the two, I _really_ don't care," Francis piped up.

Jordan flew out of the ruins, heading straight for another barricade. He bit his lip. "Uh oh."

"Just ram it!" Fred suggested.

"I can't do that!" Jordan's voice cracked.

"They'll move!" Fred yelled. "It always works in the movies! Just _do_ it!"

Jordan let out an escalating yell as he pressed the pedal down, speeding toward the people. They held their guns up, but when the car came closer, they started to lower their guns. It grew closer and closer, until they quickly scrambled out of the way. Jordan whooped. "All _right_! Let's get outta here!"

When the car parked at their camp, Vanellope kicked open the door and scrambled out, wobbling, actually standing on still ground. Hiro helped Honey and the others out. Jordan slid out of the driver's seat and opened Wasabi's door. "You need to go see Felix," he grunted as he helped Wasabi lean on his shoulder. "You should too." He nodded and Honey Lemon and Hiro.

"W…w-who's Felix?" Honey asked.

"The doctor," Vanellope explained. "I'll get the supplies out," she said and started to unload the jeep.

Honey followed Hiro through the crowd, staying as close to him as she could. Fred trailed behind, staring, curiously at everything. Cadence immediately greeted Francis with a hug and asked if he was alright. Jordan pushed aside the tent flap, herding the others inside. He set Wasabi down in a chair and leaned against the back of the chair, waiting for Felix.

"Hey!" Tadashi exclaimed for the table.

"Hey." Hiro said as he came over and hugged him.

"Are you okay?" Tadashi asked, pulling Hiro away as he looked him down.

"Sort of?" Hiro offered and coughed into his fist as Tadashi noticed his bloody shoulder and started to examine it. Hiro swatted his hand away. "Hey. Dude. Cut it out. I'm fine." He glanced back at the tent flap. "By the way, I found someone today." He smiled coyly and moved aside so his brother could see. "I thought you might want to know."

Tadashi's eyes widened. "Honey Lemon?"

"Tadashi!" Honey ran forward and threw her arms around Tadashi's neck. She gave him two, big, smacks on each of his cheeks and hugged him again. "You're here! I can't believe it's you! I was so worried about you!" she exclaimed and kissed him again, making him blush.

Tadashi squeezed her back. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Tadashi! Dude, I'm here, too!" Fred said and skipped up to him.

"Fred!" Tadashi cried happily. "You're both here!"

"I'm just so happy we're all here." Honey Lemon squeezed Tadashi, dragging Fred and Hiro into the group hug as well.

He strongly tried to protest, but he was already swept in. He grumbled, turning red before he pulled free. "Are you feeling better?" he asked Tadashi.

"The infection's almost gone. But you should really look around." Tadashi nodded his head behind him.

Hiro took a step back for a good look. Now, the canopy had five other people in, sitting in chairs, all badly hurt. Huffing, Felix was skipping around frantically, trying to give everyone everything that they needed. Hiro stared at them. "What happened?" he asked.

"It's the last patrol," Tadashi explained. "They had a run-in with Cybugs."

Honey looked around, her green eyes wide. "They look like they really need help," she said softly. She walked up to Felix. "Um, excuse me," she asked. Felix looked up at her. She made Felix look even shorter then he was. "Is there something I can do around here to help?" she asked, clasping her hands together.

Felix smiled. "As a matter of fact, there is. I need some gauze wrap. There are some rolls in the cabinet over there. Grab me a couple," he said and pointed. "After that, you can help me and clean that cut on your forehead."

"Okay." Honey Lemon walked over and opened the cabinet.

Hiro stared. "Well she certainly put herself to use," he whistled.

"Hiro..." Tadashi looked up at him. "Did…"

Hiro stopped, looking back at Tadashi, who watched him, waiting for an answer. He hung his head dolefully and shook it. "No. I didn't find them."

"Hey HIRO!" Diana stuck her head. "Where were you? I've been waiting _forever._ I need to show you the test results!" She popped in with a bag slung on her shoulder. "But anyway. I looked at your blood—Tashidi?"

"Tadashi," he corrected.

"And I found out that there's some bacteria causing the infection called _grythinodirus hydrus_ (don't look this up it's not real kay), and it's only harmful to the human body if it's out of control. Thankfully, it wasn't, so it should be easy to treat." She pulled out a small test tube filled with a clear liquid from her bag. "A dose of this, and it should go away in about two days. If I _try_ to explain what this is, you won't understand me," she said and carefully tugged a rubber stopper off the test tube. "I'm terribly sorry that the tests took so long," Diana apologized. "I have very poor-quality computers. This'll be real quick. It might hurt a little bit." She grabbed around for empty air. "Oh stink. I forgot the syringe. Yoo-hoo! Fix-it!" she called with a wave of her hand. "Syringe?" she asked, cupping her hands to her mouth.

"Oh, of course." The short man picked up a syringe and handed it to Honey Lemon. "Bring this over to her, please," Felix said. Honey Lemon handed the syringe over to Diana from across the table.

She took it with a nod and stuck it into the liquid. Hiro watched silently as she bent down, sticking the needle into Tadashi's leg. Tadashi seethed his teeth and flinched. Diana snapped her head up. "Okay?" she asked him. Tadashi nodded. Diana pulled the syringe out and nodded with satisfaction. "That should do it! Okay. Now, just rest up, drink fluids, and don't over work yourself," Diana said and pointed at Tadashi. "And no touching your leg or side. It irritates the wound." She patted him on the shoulder and left the tent with a flourish.

"Hiro, could you come over here, please?" Felix asked from across the room. "I need to see your shoulder." He gestured for Hiro to kneel. Hiro sat down crisscross on the ground until he was even shorter than Felix, pulling off his jacket. He flinched as it passed over his grazed shoulder. "Okay. Honey Lemon, please get me another roll of wrap and some water, please. And give Ana some water too." Honey grabbed a roll from the cabinet and handed it to Felix. She grabbed a plastic jug of water and poured a small amount into a dish, which she handed to Felix, going off to tend to another girl. Felix grabbed a rag from a nearby table and soaked it in the water before pressing it to Hiro's shoulder. He grimaced as he seethed his teeth in pain. Felix wiped the rag on his shoulder and then grabbed the wrap, slowly wrapping it around Hiro's shoulder. He knotted the wrap and gently patted Hiro's shoulder. "Okay. Be careful with it, and you should be fine," Felix said and came over to Wasabi.

"Thanks." Hiro stood up.

Vanellope burst inside and fell to her knees behind a table. Jordan gave a questioning look to Hiro, who answered it with a confused shrug.

GoGo came inside and looked around. "Is Vanellope here?" she asked, looking around. Jordan and Hiro shared looks, wondering if they should say anything. GoGo looked around the tables and stopped when she saw Vanellope, who looked up at her sheepishly. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Vanellope coughed. "Uh…" she quickly picked up a nearby jar. "I was just...you know. Picking this jar up." She stood up and sniffed. "What d'ya need?"

GoGo looked around at Wasabi and Hiro. "What happened?" she asked seriously. "You were late and came in with wounded."

Vanellope glanced around. "Um…gang scrape," she admitted.

"Which one?"

Jordan piped up. "Think it was Reds."

Hiro remembered the flashes of red of their shoulder patches.

"And Hiro and Vanellope are the ones who made us _late_ ," Wasabi said bluntly as Felix wrapped his arm.

GoGo abruptly turned back to Hiro, her dark eyes narrowed. She looked over at Vanellope as well, who ducked her head. She gave a sideways glance. " _You two_ made them late?" she asked. Hiro and Vanellope shared a warning glance. "What—" she stopped when she whirled around, face to face with Honey Lemon. Honey stopped, looking down at the staring GoGo, who leaned to the side and saw Fred sitting on the table with Tadashi. He waved sheepishly. GoGo stared at both of them. "Who…?"

"They're the reason we were _late_ ," Wasabi said again.

"What—" she looked at Honey and Fred both. "Alright, _what_ happened?" she asked, daring anyone to answer her.

Hiro stepped up. "They're my friends," he said. "I…brought them back. With us. I thought I heard Honey Lemon, so...I left the patrol to go find her, and Vanellope came too. Then we found Fred, and…that's why we were late," he said. "But _I_ was the one who left. So, this is my fault. If you want to take this out on anyone, it should be me."

"I also came by my own choice," Vanellope piped up. "So it's partially my fault, too." She stood by Hiro. "Don't take it out on Honey or Fred."

GoGo was speechless for a moment. She looked at Honey and Fred again. Then she turned back to Hiro, her eyes narrowed. "Well your friends had better… or…" leaving the words unsaid, she made a jerk of her thumb. "And I don't care _what_ this guy does, Vanellope," she said, turning to her little sister, "But if he breaks the rules, you don't break them, too. You were supposed to stay with the patrol!" GoGo drew back with a breath. "Since this happens too many times, you're going to be unelectable for a patrol for a week. End of story," she said and turned away.

Vanellope opened her mouth to protest, but shut it, fuming.

GoGo turned to Hiro. "You won't be electable until you finish _all_ of your training. And I'm telling Calhoun to take it up a notch. Also," she turned to Tadashi, "I need to talk to you. Since you're going to be on your feet soon, if you don't…" She sat down on the table next to Tadashi, crossing her legs. "I'm waiting." She blew a gum bubble.

Tadashi held his breath. "I can fix, invent, anything along those lines."

GoGo popped the bubble with her teeth. "I already have your brother and Felix." She pointed at Hiro and Felix. "Try again."

Tadashi exhaled. "Um..." He furrowed his brow, his mind racing for options.

GoGo flicked her finger. "Out." Honey Lemon and Fred froze. Was this what was in store for them? "So, you can leave as soon as you're better." GoGo crossed her arms. "If you want, there is the option that Hiro can harbor you. We won't provide for you, you must find your own stuff to survive, and if Hiro wants to share with you, that's fine. But if you become a hindrance, I have every right to remove you from the gang."

"But he's my _brother_! You can't just separ—!" Hiro started. GoGo turned to him with an icy silence. Hiro's mouth hung open in mid-sentence. "I was just going to say that…Tadashi has dissected Cybugs before. He knows most of the inside of Cybugs," Hiro suggested quietly.

Tadashi grimaced. "Hiro, that's not—"

"So you haven't dissected a Cybug?" Felix asked quickly.

Tadashi was silent for a moment. "I…didn't say that wasn't true, but I think my brother's exaggerating a little bit—"

"Anything with Cybugs we can use," Felix continued, cutting him off.

GoGo cleared her throat and turned to the short man with a beady stare. "Excuse me. Since _when_ did your name become GoGo?"

Felix shook his head with a sigh. "It was just something for you to consider."

GoGo snorted and popped a gum bubble. She looked at Tadashi grumpily. "Fine. Exception for _Felix._ " She shot a look across the room at him. "You can work with Diana. Vanellope will get you settled when you're better. And you?" she turned to Honey Lemon.

"Um, well I can paint," she suggested uncertainly.

"Anything else?"

"I can help sick, like what I'm doing right now," she laughed nervously.

"I already have Felix."

"GoGo, I'm afraid I have to speak my mind." Felix came up to her.

"Felix, I don't really have the patie—"

"No ma'am!" Felix held up a finger. "I've always had trouble dealing with six or seven people at a time. I need an assistant. I don't care if you think that I'm fine. Because I'm not. I want this girl as my new assistant," he said firmly with a nod of his head and crossed arms. "She kind, patient, and helpful."

GoGo stared at him, unable to speak a word. She closed her mouth. She finally let out a defeated sigh and ducked her head. "Alright. Alright." She held up her hands. "She can stay. Whatever." She let out a huff, blowing her purple bangs out of her face. "I'm just saying, I think I'm becoming invisible around here."

Honey did a little twirling dance and hugged GoGo, who stiffened. "Thank you!" she squealed. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyoutha—"

"Uh _kghum_!" GoGo cleared her throat again with an icy stare. "No. Hugs."

"Oh! Right!" Honey let GoGo go and dusted her shoulder off. GoGo swatted her hands away. Vanellope stifled a smirk. "Anyway. You?" GoGo nodded at Fred.

Fred rubbed his hands together and let out a nervous chuckle. "I am _awesome_ at reading comic books and eating almost anything. As long as it doesn't have broccoli," he added quickly. "I hate broccoli. I am also good at...yeah. That."

GoGo stared. "No."

"But GoGo—!" Hiro started.

" _NO_! No." She wagged a finger at Fred. "I've seen you before. I have seen your type before, and I don't like you guys. You aren't the type to survive. It's amazing you've actually made it this far," she said. "I'm not harboring you."

"GoGo, be reasonable!" Hiro jumped. "You can't just drag him back out there to be eaten by Cybugs!" he said as Fred's eyes went wide nervously. "He's absolutely defenseless and he doesn't know anything about what's out there!"

"And that's the perfect reason to drop him," GoGo said. "Look." She pointed at them. "You can stay. You can stay. You can stay. You _can't_ stay. Period." She stood up and made for the exit.

"Can't I share with him?"

"I'd let you harbor him under normal circumstances, but this type?" She shook her head. "No, he's the type that wouldn't understand how to spell if you said every word for him. If you harbored him, you would be sharing _our_ resources with someone that is only there taking up space. Tadashi's different, cuz he's not a dolt."

Hiro grabbed her arm. "GoGo, you can't do this," he said. He needed to stall for time. If Fred couldn't stay…He just needed to find Aunt Cass and Baymax, and then maybe they could leave. If he could buy time for Fred to stay... "Just...let him stay long enough to let him prepare. I mean, he's been out there for weeks, avoiding Cybugs and scraping for food. Just let him rest, and…and…" There had to be more. Hiro struggled for words. "…And let him learn how to defend himself out there." He could feel everybody's eyes on him. He was probably one of the few to ever challenge GoGo. Especially in public.

"He goes in the morning." She shook her arm out of Hiro's grasp.

Hiro stared at GoGo before looking over at his friends. Vanellope glanced around nervously. Honey and Tadashi shared looks of concern. Fred looked down. Hiro felt a sickening feeling. Fred needed to stay longer. Or GoGo was going to drop him. Hiro's mind raced furiously. He needed to find a way for Fred to stay. "Let him stay for a week," Hiro offered suddenly. GoGo turned around. "Maybe he can learn something from us. Like working with the injured, or computers, or—maybe he's a better cook than Joey is," he said.

GoGo looked at him for a minute, pursing her lips. She held up a finger. "Alright. _One week._ " She left the tent briskly.

Hiro let out a huge breath before casting a quick glace over at Fred. He hoped Fred was the doltish learning type.

( 0—0 )

"Hm." Calhoun stalked over the busted crate, rubbing her fingers over the splintered wood where bullets hit. "Not bad. You're a little off on the second shot. And the third could be closer. Try again."

Hiro sighed moodily as he loaded another round. It had been a week. Tadashi was able to walk and had moved in with him. Vanellope was able to go on patrols again early. _Lucky_. And what did he get to do? Shoot boxes and crates from AM to PM. Lifting his gun to his shoulder, he aimed and shot, the cracks in the crate sending little shards of wood flying.

Calhoun watched, nodding her head. "Hm. Well, at least you don't have any bad habits, hot head." She smirked.

 _Hot head._ Calhoun's new nickname. He didn't like it and Calhoun knew it. "I don't have any good ones either," Hiro replied stiffly. "I never seem to be able to cock the gun right," he griped and slung his gun over his shoulder. "You know what? I think I'm done for the day. Bye," he said curtly.

"Hey, hot head!" Calhoun called after him. "If you keep walking out on shooting lessons like this, then how you ever gonna get out on patrols?"

Hiro turned and shrugged, walking backwards. "I'll get there somehow." And he walked away. Calhoun never stopped him, so he was in no danger. They respected each other's 'gut,' so to speak, so they were cool.

Joey ran up to him. "Hiro? Hiro, could I talk to you? Hiro? Hiro! Hiro!"

Hiro stopped in his tracks and groaned irritably.

Joey was the _worst._ He always pronounced his name _Hye_ -ro. He didn't seem to get that it was pronounced _Hee_ -ro. Joey caught up with him. "Oh! Hiro! I thought for a minute you hadn't heard me."

 _Don't I wish._

"I just wanted to tell you that..." he leaned forward mysteriously, " _Fred and myself are going to plan something awesome for dessert tonight._ "

Fred had been in the kitchen lately, experimenting to see if he was better at cooking. He was equally bad. The night before last, they had something utterly disgusting that was coated in crushed cornflakes and melted icing. It made Hiro's teeth tingle so much that it almost felt like his gums had withered from the sweetness. "Do you have an allergy?" Joey asked in his nasally voice.

"Peanuts. And sugar."

Joey nodded, his expression skeptical as he rubbed his chin. "Hmm. Okay. Gotcha. So yours won't have any nuts on it. How does that sound?"

"Great," Hiro sighed and walked on.

Fred wasn't making a very good impression on GoGo. So far, he had flunked helping the injured, was horrible at shooting a gun, and was failing cooking as well. Hiro wasn't sure how to stall for time anymore. Tomorrow, Fred would have to prove himself, or get kicked out. He gave a glance skyward. Why did GoGo have to be so arrogant? If she were kinder, he was sure he could work something out, but no. No, she was going to be a goblin.

Hiro pushed aside his tent flap and sat down on his cot, pulling his boots off. Tadashi's cot was right across from his. It felt a little more cramped, but better to know that when he went to bed at night, Tadashi was right next to him. It gave a little bit of comfort. He fell onto his cot with a sigh.

How long was it until he was electable for a patrol again? A month? Two? Three? He didn't have that long. He might have to start sneaking out.

He sat up quickly. NO. No. Someone would find out. Underneath his bed, his foot nudged something, and he already knew what it was. He reached under and pulled out the little gun aiming laser he had been working on some days back, turning it around in his hand. He tossed it up in the air and caught it. He did it again. What was he really going to do with this thing anyway? He shoved it back underneath his bed.

Tadashi came in and smiled when he saw Hiro. "Hey. You okay?"

Hiro looked up at him. "Sure," he said grumpily, his arms on his knees.

"Hey. _You're_ upset," Tadashi observed and sat down next to him.

"Yeah," Hiro huffed. "I guess."

"Then there's nothing to be done about that."

"You're just a ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Hiro looked up at him and sighed gloomily. "GoGo bumped me back with shooting. I'm never going to find them. I-i-it's like everyone is doing everything to stop me. And anything could have happened to them during this week!" He stopped himself. He was overreacting. "I feel like I won't find them. Ever." He hung his head and shrugged. "I dunno. It's just... that's what it feels like. Why does GoGo have to be such a…a…a-a _goblin_?"

Tadashi laughed and sidled a little nearer. He leaned in close. "You know what you need?" he whispered into Hiro's ear. "I think you need a hug."

"No, I don't need a _hug_!" Hiro protested, fighting off Tadashi's arms. "What I need is...time. I need time for Fred. I need time to finish gun sessions. I need to time to find Aunt Cass and Baymax. I need …more time." He slumped with sigh.

Tadashi took the chance to hug him. Hiro didn't resist. He would never had admitted it, but it actually felt nice and reassuring when Tadashi hugged him. He always told everyone he wasn't a hugging person, but...well, that was a lie.

"I want to find them, too," Tadashi said. "More than anything. But sometimes, life doesn't always go the way you plan. The good thing is, I haven't lost Fred or Honey Lemon." He looked down at Hiro and smiled. "And I still have you. And you know what?" Hiro looked up at him. Tadashi ruffled his hair fondly. "They're still out there. I know it. I can feel it in my blood. And you're going to find them, Hiro."

Hiro looked down, feeling his face get warm. Sometimes, big brothers were the best. He looked away. "But that still doesn't fix my problem. I still don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Tadashi stood and knelt in front of him. "You know another thing? I'm not giving up on you." He suddenly grabbed Hiro by the ankles, who let out a cry of alarm as Tadashi dragged him off the bed and swung him around over his back.

"AAGH! Ow! What are you doing?!" Hiro protested.

"Shakin' things up!" Tadashi jostled Hiro around some more. "Use that big brain of yours to think your way around the problem!"

"What?"

"Look for a new angle."

Groaning, Hiro let himself dangle upside down. _New angles._ He _hated_ his brother's new angles. His tank top flopped over into his face, revealing his midriff. He was thankful that no one was watching this.

"Hiro, I—um..."

Hiro gave a startled gasp. Upside down, he could see Vanellope standing in the tent flap, staring. At them. Hiro turned red, besides the blood that was already rushing to his head.

Tadashi looked over his shoulder. "Oh, hey Vanellope!"

Hiro blindly grabbed his tank top and pulled it down—or up, to cover his midriff. He cleared his throat into his fist. "Um, this isn't really a good time, Vanellope," he said, trying to sound calm and cover up his embarrassment.

"Yeah, okay. Just wanted to say that dinner is done," Vanellope said and slowly turned around, leaving the tent.

"Then we should get going," Tadashi said and dropped Hiro. "C'mon. Let's go get some food. I'm anxious to see what Joey has whipped up for us tonight."

( 0—0 )

"It's called a 'Fredoughnut'!" Joey explained so everyone could hear.

"Try it! It's really good!" Fred added enthusiastically, standing by Joey's side. "Also, try it with duck sauce! It's _extra_ good that way!"

Hiro stared at his plate. Puff pastry, stuffed with cereal and chocolate icing, deep fried, coated with a glaze of icing, and rolled in sugar. He let out a groan. "Unbelievable," he mumbled. "I have a feeling that Fred is behind this one."

"' _Fredoughnut_ '?" Ralph asked. "Fredoughnut my _behind_. What is this?"

"It's a Fred-doughnut," Tadashi explained halfheartedly and rubbed his temples. "If this is what Fred eats, I can't believe he hasn't gone into a sugar coma by now. You know, Joey and Fred really are a good pair. They're both compatible. You know what I mean?"

Francis picked his food up and took a hesitant bite. He chewed slowly and swallowed it with a shudder. He smacked his mouth. "Huh. It's actually not nearly as oily as it usually is." He took another bite. "This is a big improvement."

Jordan watched him eat, disgusted. " _Dude_."

Though dinner was a disappointment, Hiro smiled. All his favorite people were here. Except two. His smiled faded. Baymax was a robot, but he was still his friend. Was he ever going to get out there again? He watched as Calhoun stalked past them and sat down with a group of other men and women, including Wasabi and GoGo. They pushed their food away with a laugh. Hiro couldn't help but feel envious. They probably got to go out on patrols all the time. He looked away. Maybe there was a new angle to this. Maybe there was a new angle to everything. How was he supposed to buy time for Fred? Or by doing so, would he just delay the inevitable? Was Fred really the learning type?

"Hiro, are you okay?" Hiro snapped out of his thoughts with a start. Cadence was looking at him. "You...seemed a little lost." She sounded concerned.

Hiro shook his head. "I'm fine," he said with a false smile. "It's nothing."

Tadashi looked down at him. "You do seem quiet."

Hiro glanced around. "Why is everyone staring at me?"

"Oh. We're staring at Hiro?" Jordan looked around, confused. "Okay. Everyone stare at Hiro," he said and set his elbows on the table with his chin in his hands, bugging his eyes out at Hiro.

"Because you are awesome," Diana said. "Lighten up! Today was a great day! You know, meal times are usually the time where everyone interacts with their friends," Diana pointed out. "You should talk about something. Tell us a joke."

Hiro shook his head. "I-I don't know any good jokes."

"Ooooh! You're blushing!" Tadashi teased.

Vanellope patted his back. "Hiro, it's not that hard. Tell us something funny."

Hiro shook his head with a little chuckle. "Okay. I know one joke, I guess. Okay. There was a plane, with three people in it. They could say something and jump out of the plane, and land in whatever they said. So the brown head said 'pillows,' so they jumped out of the plane and landed in pillows. The red head said 'marshmallows,' so they jumped out of the plane and landed in marshmallows. The blonde head tripped jumping out of the plane and said 'oh crap.'"

Everyone erupted in laughs and sympathetic groans at the unfinished ending. Jordan slapped the table. "Oh man! Gotta remember that one!" he chortled.

"No offense to anyone who's blonde," Hiro added quickly.

"Hey guys." Everyone stopped. Taffyta suddenly squished herself between Francis and Jordan. "I'll just...squeeze in here."

"Oooooh crap," Jordan said stiffly.

"Hey. Taffyta," Francis said, his voice suddenly quiet.

"Hey Francis. I told you to call me Taffy!" she laughed and nudged him on the shoulder playfully. "How many time do I have to tell you?"

"Hey Taffyta," Jordan said bluntly. "Here's a joke. There was a plane, with three people in it. They could say something and jump out of the plane, and land in whatever they said. So the brown head said 'Pillows,' so they jumped out of the plane and landed in pillows. The red head said 'marshmallows,' so they jumped out of the plane and landed in marshmallows. The blonde head tripped jumping out of the plane and said 'oh crap.'"

Hiro winced.

Taffyta stared, fingers instinctively fingering platinum blonde hair as she fake-laughed. "Oh, that's _so_ funny," she said, trying to hide her disgust. "Yeah."

Hiro slowly slipped away from the table, thankfully unnoticed. He made his way through the small crowd of standing people and out into the night, taking in a breath, free from the crammed tables and the smell of sugary oil. It was cloudy, hiding any stars, but letting the faint glow of the moon through. The breeze wafted by. He leaned carefully on one of the canopy's thick poles, looking out over the empty dust plain. And beyond the plain and dunes, he knew, were the ruins of San Fransokyo. He sighed. _Somewhere out there, are Aunt Cass and Baymax._ He thought silently. _And I'll find them. When I get back out there._ He shook his hair out of his face. _And when that will be?_

"Hiro! Oh hey, there you are! We were wondering where you went!" Vanellope called and walked up to him. "Oh wait. Do you want to be alone?"

Hiro shook his head. "Nah. It's okay."

Vanellope nodded and let out a breath. "Okay." She stood there for a minute and shoved her hands into her kangaroo pocket. "So why are you out here?"

Hiro shrugged. "Thinking, I guess."

"What about?" Hiro made no answer. "Oh. Sorry," Vanellope said. "I'm so _nosy_!" she scolded herself. "It's a bad habit."

"Vanellope, how long would it take for me to get out there again?"

"What? Out there? You mean, like, on a patrol? Um...with your gun shooting, uh, I'd say...about two, three weeks. I think. I-I dunno. It varies."

Hiro nodded. Two to three weeks. Could he really wait that long? Could Aunt Cass and Baymax really wait that long? He smiled back at her. "Thanks."

"No problem." Vanellope rocked back and forth on her heels and toes. "So, um, what's on your mind?"

Hiro sighed. "It's Fred."

"Oh." Vanellope cleared her throat. "So, uh, Fred. What about him?"

"He's not making a good impression on GoGo. I'm worried she won't let him in. I don't know what I'm gonna do if that happens," Hiro admitted. "I…I can't let GoGo kick him out. Why does she do that anyway?"

Vanellope sighed. "I don't know. I mean, really. I don't. I think..." she stopped and pushed a stray strand of black hair behind her ears. "She started doing it when we found this one girl," Vanellope breathed. "She wasn't quite the learning type, and she was a little, uh, slow...but she could make us laugh. Um, we had a Cybug raid, a while ago, and…her younger sister was cornered by a Cybug. The girl thought that she could save her sister if she led it away from her. So…she started hitting it, screaming, trying to get its attention, and when she did, she ran, leading it away. But she ran straight into camp. The Cybug lost interest, and it destroyed nearly half the camp, and…I don't know how many people it killed. But it nearly ate me. I remember that much. GoGo thought she was a danger to the rest of us. The next morning, she dragged her out for the Cybugs. That's when she started. If...you're slow or hazardous to the gang...that's what she'll do."

"She did that?" Hiro asked, aghast. "But she was just trying to protect her little sister! Why was she dragged out for…? It's not...i-i-it's not right!"

"Hiro, it's never right," Vanellope said. "She tells us that she's doing it to protect us and to keep us from getting crowded. She brings them in, and then they bring others in. That's why she doesn't want you to think about your aunt."

Hiro snapped his head sharply at her. " _How do you know that_?" he hissed.

She held out her hands. "No, no, I didn't—! Hiro, Tadashi ratted. And I kinda picked it up." She leaned in. "Are you guys keeping it a secret?" she whispered.

Hiro gave her a distrusting look.

"I won't tell. Cross my heart and hope to fry, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Hiro regarded her for a minute. He nodded. "That's why I want to get back out there so badly. I want to go find them," he said. "But if GoGo knew..."

Vanellope nodded. She was silent. "I understand," she said simply. "And forgive me for asking—it's the nosy habit, but I have to know—you always mention your aunt, but you never mention you parents. What about them?"

Hiro sighed. "They died when I was three," he explained. "That's why I live with my aunt. Besides Tadashi, she's the only family I have left. That's why she's so important to me." Hiro looked back out over the sand. "They're out there," he said determinedly and set his face. There was silence again, except for the hollow whistling of the breeze.

"I'll help you."

Hiro snapped his head back to Vanellope. "What?"

"I'll help you," Vanellope repeated. "I'll do what I can to get you back out there again. I could even talk to GoGo."

"No. Don't. She'll figure out something's up. Talk to Calhoun. Or get someone to talk to her. That way, she won't know you're connected."

Vanellope's mind raced furiously. "Um...oh, wait a minute, wait a minute..." she snapped her fingers. "That's it!" she exclaimed. "Sweet Mother of Monkey Milk, that's it!" She let out an excited chuckle as she shivered with excitement. "Diana! GoGo is vulnerable to Diana! If anyone can talk to GoGo, it's her." she said firmly. "She's the girl's younger sister I told you about. That's why GoGo listens to her. Well, sometimes. She basically dragged her older sister out, and I think it's because GoGo feels guilty. That's why Diana always has a way to get GoGo to hear her out. I can talk to her about it tonight I bet."

Hiro was getting excited. His next patrol might be closer than he thought. He grinned. Then he rubbed his neck and looked away, turning a little pink. "Uh, t-thanks, Vanellope. I really don't deserve this. And you really don't have to get yourself involved. I would feel bad if we got in trouble because of me."

Vanellope shook her head. "Nuh uh. Not this time. I want you to have your aunt back." Vanellope smiled up at him. Hiro slowly smiled back. Vanellope suddenly punched him in the shoulder. "See you tomorrow," she grinned and ran off into the darkness.

Maybe he'd just found that 'new angle.'

( 0—0)

"I gotta say. The cot's better than the table," Tadashi said as he laid down, stretching out his legs. "But you know, I'll never get used to sleeping on these things. They're so stiff. Nothing like a real mattress," he sighed wistfully.

Hiro let out a grunt. "Get used to it. You'll be sleeping on it for a while," he added in a lower voice. He slid on a white T-shirt and a pair of tan shorts, jumping onto his cot with a loud squeak and kicking aside his rough, gray, blanket. He didn't want to sleep in that in this weather. He laced his hands behind his head and stared up at their tent ceiling. An electric lantern hung, motionless. Tadashi sat up and pulled out a book. Hiro watched him open the front cover and propped himself up on his elbow. "Where did you get that?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh. Diana lent it to me. It's supposed to prepare me for working with her. It's about biological organisms, and she said it would be very entertaining for me." Tadashi started to read. "But I dunno," he sighed.

"Hey. Dashi. Guess what?"

Tadashi set the book down with a tired groan. "What?"

"Vanellope's going to get Diana to convince GoGo to let me go on patrols again. It could let me out there sooner."

Tadashi grinned sheepishly. "Then you discovered I accidentally told her?"

Hiro gave him a blunt look. "You're horrible at keeping secrets."

"That's nice to know." Tadashi grabbed his book again. "So Diana's going to talk to GoGo? Somehow, I don't see that happening," he said. "Hey, hey, hey, where's my good night smooch?" he asked.

"I _don't_ smooch you." Hiro threw his jacket at Tadashi's head.

"Come on! You'd do it when you were little _all_ the _time_!"

"But I'm not three anymore."

"Just one. Just one. Only tonight, I promise, Hiro. I promise."

Hiro gave him a look over his shoulder. "You're desperate," he observed.

"You embarrassed? Are you embarrassed to kiss your brother goodnight?"

"STOOOP!" Hiro wailed, slamming his pillow over his head. "Just shut up!"

"Look. Only tonight, I promise. Just one. It's not like anyone's watching you. And even if they were, it's not like they'd care."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

Hiro threw the pillow off and closed his eyes. "Good night."

"Hiro, get over here."

Hiro faked snored.

"Alright." Tadashi stood. "I'm coming, Hiro. I'm coming. I'm COMING!"

Hiro squealed like a little girl and slapped Tadashi away with his pillow, trying to sound angry. "NO! _STOP_! GEDAWAY, Tadashi! PUT me DOWN!" Hiro demanded as his brother scooped him up upside down. "STOP THAT—! _GAAGH_!"

"Gosh! This is just one kiss! What in the world is wrong with you? Pretend I'm Aunt Cass!" Tadashi shook him. "Keep screaming like that and everyone will think we're savages. They'll think I beat you at night." He planted a small kiss right under Hiro's jaw before he flipped him right-side up. "Now see? Was that so horrible? It's not like I stuck a knife in your chest and carved out heart! You're too big, though. Next time I'm going to drop you."

Hiro hit him. "Don't DO that!"

"Goodnight to you, too."

( 0—0 )

"HIRO! WAKE UP! _HIRO_!"

Hiro jolted with a loud scream. He looked around, a veil of eye sand clouding his foggy eyes. It was in the middle of the night. "Tadashi? W-what's—?"

"Hiro! Where's your gun!" Tadashi yelled. Outside, they heard a scream and screeching. Cybug screeching. Hiro's brown eyes widened, alarmed. Tadashi glanced out the tent. "We're having _a Cybug raid!_ "


	8. Chapter VII: Diana

GoGo heard the screams. Her eyes snapped open. Bolting up, she threw the covers onto the floor. She grabbed the gun under her cot. Vanellope woke from the commotion. "Go? GoGo, what is it?" she asked.

"Raid. Stay here," GoGo commanded sternly and flew out the tent.

The Cybugs were eating everything in sight, scattered throughout the camp. Others were already awake. GoGo hated shooting while she was still in her sleepwear, but sometimes, a white camisole and short-shorts would have to do. She held up the gun and fired at the closest Cybug, drilling a line of holes into its side. It turned its head to her and skittered closer, screeching. GoGo gritted her teeth and pulled the trigger over and over again, hitting it in the eyes and in the mouth. It let out what she thought was an agonized screech before crumpling to the ground with a clank. Staring at the fizzling heap in front of her bare feet, she spat on it before running off to help others.

There were no words to describe her hate for these things. The only things they did were eat, kill, destroy, lay their cursed eggs, and then eat and kill some more. She wouldn't mind pumping whoever-made-these-things' guts with lead. She fired her gun at a Cybug with the face of a little boy. The boy's face opened, letting out an ear-splitting screech. She shot it in the mouth and the boy's face suddenly went slack. It fell to the ground. The man it had been cornering nodded his thanks to her. She nodded back. "How many are there?" she asked.

The man shook his blood-stained head. "We don't know. The night-watch patrol said that they saw about a couple dozen, but we're not sure. I feel like it's a lot more than that. They haven't gotten to the southern part of the camp yet, but they're getting there." The man coughed. "They're mostly in the western part, I hear."

GoGo nodded. "Then let's get over there," she said and cocked her gun.

( 0—0 )

Vanellope peeked out from between the tent flap. The Cybugs were spreading through the camp alarmingly fast. She held her breath and her eyes went wide as one suddenly crawled in front of her tent. Her fingers slowly traced her revolver, lying at her side. Picking it up, she ever so slowly clicked the safety off and cocked it.

The Cybug perked up and turned around, searching for the noise.

Vanellope leaped out of the tent and pulled the trigger, hitting it in between the mouth and the right eye. She cocked it again and shot, which happened to ricochet off a bad spot. With a shriek, she ducked to avoid the stray bullet.

Out of the blue, Ralph let out an escalating yell with his giant hands raised above his head. He brought them down on the Cybugs, making huge, groaning craters. It screeched and Ralph pounded his hands over and over again until it was lying in a fizzling heap. He let out a breath. "You okay?" he asked.

Vanellope nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Ralphy. Do you know where any of the others are?" She looked around, scanning for any faces she knew.

Ralph shook his head. "Nah. I haven't seen anybody yet." A Cybug rammed at him with full speed. Ralph suddenly held out his fist, and it crashed into it, caving in its own face.

"Let's find Jordan or Cadence," she suggested.

Ralph scooped her up and placed her on his back, where she rode piggy back. He ran through the camp, bashing random Cybugs as he passed them. Vanellope jostled and bumped as Ralph ran, watching other faces pass in a blur.

Ralph nodded. "Okay! We're trying…to find Jordan or Cadence…" he said and pounded a Cybug. As he ran off again in the direction of Cadence's tent, her mind racked off people she knew. Wasabi and Calhoun would definitely be fine. Francis? Probably. Taffyta? Probably not, but she didn't really care. Felix would stick close to someone who could handle themselves, and…what about Joey? And Fred? And Honey Lemon? Joey would probably ignore his guns and hide. Probably dragging Fred with him. Joey knew some pretty good hiding spots. He and Fred would probably be fine. And Honey Lemon? What _would_ Honey Lemon do?

"CADENCE!" Ralph shouted as he thundered across the ground. Vanellope shook her black hair out of her eyes and spat out a mouthful.

Up ahead, Cadence and Francis were back to back, shooting at Cybugs that dared to get close. They looked like some awesome spy couple, but now wasn't the time. Cadence looked relieved when she saw the two. "Ralph! Vanellope!" she exclaimed. "The others?"

"We're going to find Jordan and Honey Lemon!" Vanellope replied as she hopped off Ralph's back, firing her revolver. "Do you know where the rest are?"

"Felix is with Wasabi and Jordan!" Francis replied above the roar of Cybugs and gunshots. "I don't know where Honey Lemon is!"

Vanellope yelled above the sound of breaking metal and cracking glass as Ralph pounded a Cybug nearby. "Ralph! Hey RALPH!" Ralph looked over his shoulder. "Do you know where Honey Lemon is?!"

He shook his head. "NO!"

"We should find her!"

"Right."

"Check somewhere near the medical tent!" Vanellope suggested. Francis, Jordan, Cadence, and Felix were fine. What about Honey Lemon? Ralph checked inside an empty tent. "Hullo? No?" He backed out again, finding it empty. He checked a few other tents. "She's not here, Vanellope!" he reported.

Then it dawned on her. "No. No, no, NO! RALPH!" she exclaimed.

" _What_?"

"She's not here!"

"Yeah, I know! I just checked six tents and she wasn't here!"

"NO! She won't be here!" Vanellope explained. "Ralph! Ralph, turn around! I bet she's with the Hamadas!"

( 0—0 )

Tadashi had had some shooting practice, but he didn't have _that_ much. Even Hiro was doing better than he was. He liked _helping_ people…but he couldn't help but admire the way his brother took on each Cybug that ventured too close. _Hiro_ was doing the work. Tadashi noticed a woman who had run out of bullets. She looked down at her gun helplessly as Cybug skittered closer. Tadashi lifted his gun and aimed. _But if I want to help people, then here's a start._ And Cybugs were easy exceptions. He pulled the trigger and the bullet went spiraling, hitting the Cybug in the head, where it embedded itself deeply.

"TADASHI! HIRO!" They turned to see Honey Lemon running toward them, her blonde hair disheveled, streaming behind her as she ran. Grabbing them both, she hugged them, her eyes shining. "You're okay!"

"Honey? What are you doing here?" Tadashi asked.

"I came to find you!" Honey fixed her pink glasses. One lens sported a spider crack. "I-I can't see too well with this eye," she said and gently tapped her pink glasses frame. "It broke when I fell. _HIRO_!" she screamed and pointed.

Hiro quickly lifted his gun and shot the oncoming Cybug, the cracks echoing in the air, mingling with others. The Cybug screeched and danced around madly, one of its eyes shattered. Hiro grit his teeth and fired again, hitting it in the other eye. It let one last shriek and collapsed. "Man," Hiro muttered.

"How did you do that?" Tadashi asked.

Hiro shrugged grimly. "Lucky shot."

Oh. That made him feel a little better about his own shooting.

Honey Lemon let out a small shriek as Hiro shot another Cybug. She clung to Tadashi's shoulder, trembling. "A-a-are you—am I—"

Tadashi put a hand on hers. "No. You're fine," he said. "Stay behind me."

Honey Lemon nodded.

Hiro breathed heavily. Wiping the back of his hand against his forehead, he swiped beads of sweat away. He was tired. He wasn't made to get up at midnight to shoot bugs. He was supposed to be sleeping right now. His eyes hurt, stinging. "Tadashi, I—" he started with a pant.

"HIRO!" Honey screamed.

"What?" Hiro turned to see a Cybug scrambling toward them. It was moving pretty fast. Hiro let out a tired groan. The one thing he hated about reality was that the bad guys never hesitated or drooled about killing someone. If Cybugs did that, it would make his life easier. He was about to shoot the Cybug, but the face was a little girl with blonde hair. She looked like she was only six. The memory of the girl in the magenta dress burned in his head for a fifth of a second. He stopped, frozen. The girl's face glared at him with green eyes and let out a screech. He shook his head. "T…I…Tadashi, I can't," he protested.

Tadashi's eyes widened in panic. "What?!"

Suddenly, Ralph tore out of nowhere and brought his ginormous fists down on the unsuspecting Cybug. The Cybug screeched in protest of its own, but Ralph mercilessly pounded it over and over again until it was sputtering and destroyed.

Vanellope scrambled off of Ralph's back. "What were you doing?!" she asked. "It would have eaten you if we hadn't come along!" she said.

Hiro shook his head, shrugging the matter off. "Are the others okay?" he asked quickly.

Vanellope nodded her head, her black hair falling in her face. Swiping it away, she gasped as six Cybugs came after them. She raised her gun.

Ralph let out a sigh. "Save your bullets." He ran forward and completely smashed them all. He punched them and even stomped on one. Hiro could see why this guy made it into the gang.

Around them, commotion was dying down. Only a few Cybugs were left, quickly being taken down by others. Some wounded limped by with bleeding heads and arms. The stench of burning acid and smoke filled the air. Honey Lemon watched them, her green eyes filled with sympathy. "I should go help," she murmured, walking up to a man, letting him lean on her, due to his injured leg.

Tadashi watched admirably as they hung a left. He looked down at his own brother and let his arm snake across his shoulders, pulling him close.

Hiro let his gun hang at his side with a tired breath and his head fell onto Tadashi's chest. "I'm tired," he said simply.

"But we should help clean up," Tadashi said.

Ralph nodded. "Yeah." Ralph looked down at Vanellope. "You'll be alright?" She nodded. Ralph turned back into the camp, helping scoop up a damaged tent that was more like rags and bent poles. Tadashi followed.

The other two watched them go. With a sigh, Vanellope glanced up at Hiro and placed her hands on her hips. "So why did you hesitate?" she asked.

Hiro looked at her skeptically. "You want me to be honest?" he asked. She nodded. Hiro let out a breath. "I didn't shoot her—it because..." he pursed his lips, "…because it reminded me of the girl we found at the corner store," he admitted.

"Your neighbor's daughter?"

"What? I—yeah." Hiro said quickly. "It felt wrong for a second. I mean, it felt like it was an innocent little girl, and even though that little girl was trying to eat my head...it felt wrong. Like…it felt wrong," Hiro said simply. He let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "That sounds stupid. I-it's hard to explain."

Vanellope shook her head. "No," she said. "I get it."

Hiro sighed, running his fingers through his hair and rested his hands on his hips. Turning to Vanellope, he asked, "Have you talked to Diana yet?"

Vanellope let out a nervous chuckle. "Ah, no. No, not yet. I…was gonna talk to her...before I went to bed." She traced her fingers around the neck of her pink camisole and glanced over at Hiro, embarrassed.

He nodded and looked down at a Cybug, still sputtering at his feet. With a grunt, he kicked it scornfully. "Where _do_ these things come from?"

Vanellope shook her head. "Um. We don't really know. GoGo said that we shouldn't mess with those things, and we should leave them alone. So no one's really bothered to find out."

Hiro couldn't help but ponder the question no one had ever asked. His brow furrowed. Why? Why hadn't these people done anything to stop these things? In his opinion, they really needed to take action. If they could do some digging, then maybe they could find out where they came from and then they could find a way to stop them. So GoGo didn't want them looking, huh?

"VANELLOPE!" The two winced. And speaking of GoGo, here she was now. "I _told_ you to _stay inside_! What are you doing out here?" She glanced over at Hiro. Her brown eyes narrowed.

"No, no, no, no! It's not that!" Hiro protested, waving his hands.

"I _left_ ," Vanellope said firmly. "Well, actually, it wasn't my fault. Um, okay. So, there was a Cybug, and it almost found me. I tried to shoot it, and then I couldn't shoot it, but Ralph came in, and then we checked on the others, and then we checked on Honey Lemon, and then she wasn't there—"

"Vanellope! Shut up. Hey! Hey, hey, hey! VANELLOPE!" GoGo yelled. Vanellope's mouth quickly shut and she went silent. GoGo glared down into her younger sister's eyes. " _You_ were _supposed_ to stay PUT _. And when I say_ PUT _,_ I mean _PUT_! If there was a Cybug, you shoot it, and then you stay put!" She narrowed her eyes at Hiro and let out a breath. "I guess you don't have any fault." She pointed a finger at Vanellope. "You know you could've died if it weren't for Ralph?" Vanellope nodded quickly. GoGo's lip quivered with anger and she felt her face grow hot. Vanellope was stupid sometimes, but that wasn't her fault. She crossed her arms. "You're going to be constricted to camp until Hiro is electable. Maybe that'll get 'stay put' in your head." She slung her gun on her shoulder and nodded her head at Vanellope. "Are you coming, or what? Let's go clean up." She turned and walked away. Vanellope gave one last gloomy glance before trailing after GoGo.

Hiro watched her go reluctantly. He sighed and looked up at the sky. The clouds had still refused to move. Hopefully, if possible, he'd be able to get some sleep anyhow.

( 0—0 )

"Hey. Hiro. Wake up already! You're sleeping the day away."

Groaning, Hiro fluttered his eyes open, blinking away sleep. He let out a groggy moan and tried to focus as a hand ruffled his hair. Someone above him chuckled. "Hm—mm—uh ...what?" Hiro mumbled.

"You awake yet?"

Hiro shook his head. "Nah. Talk to me when it's ten." He let out a long moan before grabbing his pillow and slamming it over his head. "Uuugh. Lemme sleep."

Tadashi jostled Hiro's bed. "Hiro! Get up already! Breakfast is in a few minutes! You want some Lucky Charms with chocolate and sugar and rice milk, don't you? Vanellope will be there, and Honey, and Jordan, and everybody else."

Hiro blindly tried to sway his hand away. "Stop..."

Tadashi suddenly sat on him with full force. "Get _up_!"

"AGH!" Hiro yelped and threw the pillow off his head. "Get off!" Protesting loudly, Hiro tried to push Tadashi off his back, but his arms couldn't quite reach. "GET _OFF_!" He gave one final shove.

Tadashi sprang up. "Okay! Okay! I'm getting off!"

Hiro pushed Tadashi an extra few inches away before throwing his blanket off and straightening his shirt. "Unbelievable..." Hiro muttered.

Tadashi just chuckled and leaned down, planting a kiss right underneath Hiro's jaw, where he had last night. "You never change, do you?" he shook his head.

Hiro felt his face grow dark. "Is that payback for last night?" he asked.

"No. That was just me being sappy."

"You know what's rich? You being all like ' _It's okay, Honey. Just stay behind me and let me protect you._ ' And then you kiss me. That's _so_ rich."

"Shut up." Tadashi turned red and looked away. "It's not like I was gonna kiss her or anything."

" _Deniiiiiiaaaaal_. You're just practicing that cutsy-wootsy kissing on me."

"I am not."

"Just get out or look at the wall." He shooed Tadashi away. "Practice kissing with the mirror like the dweeb you are."

Tadashi huffed, still red-faced. "Whatever." He marched out of the tent, insulted that Hiro could suggest such a thing.

Changing into his skinny jeans and tank top, he shrugged on his leather jacket. He left the tent, squinting when the bright sunlight hit his eyes. The damage from last night was repaired. More or less. There were still a few battered tents, but other than that, it looked okay. Hiro hit Tadashi on the arm and nodded his head in the direction of the dining canopy. "Let's go."

Tadashi followed Hiro through the groggy looking crowd. "So what do you think Joey and Fred have whipped up for us this morning?"

"Ah, I dunno. Probably something really sweet."

"If we keep eating like this, we're gonna have some really bad cavities," Tadashi sighed. "I can't believe GoGo has even let Joey stay like this for this long."

Hiro shrugged. "Maybe because everyone else is worse?"

Tadashi laughed. "That, I doubt."

They moved into the tent, where they sat down next to Cadence. "Good morning." She smiled at them. "Did you get enough sleep last night?"

Groaning, Hiro clunked his head on the table. "No," he groaned.

Tadashi gave his head a little push. "He's just a big baby."

Hiro didn't even feel like protesting. He could hear Cadence laugh. "That's okay," she said. "I'm not a morning person, too. I don't think any of the others are either. Well, except for Honey Lemon."

"Is she here?" Tadashi asked.

Cadence shook her head. "She's helping Felix with the ones who got injured last night." She crossed her arms on the table. "I really admire the way she really commits herself to helping others. It's like she doesn't care about herself. I really like that about her." Cadence sighed. "I wish I could be like that."

Hiro knew that everything Cadence had just said was true. Honey really was a hard worker, and she was the one of the most selfless people he knew. He also admired that about her. He knew Tadashi did too. And she made really good cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate, too. That was another thing. At least his brother wouldn't go hungry if they got married.

Tadashi let out a saddened breath. When he caught wind of Hiro's smirk up at him, he turned red again and turned away. "So do you know where the others are?" he asked to change the subject.

"Um..." Cadence started, pursing her lips, "Well, I know that Francis and Jordan are probably asleep right now, or on their way, Taffyta will be doing the same…Ralph isn't a morning person. But Diana is a really big early bird. She should be here right now. I don't where she is. And Vanellope is on her lock down."

"Lock down?" Hiro asked, snapping his head up.

Cadence nodded. "Yeah, she isn't aloud around until you can go on a patrol."

That's right. Did that really mean she wasn't aloud around the camp? "Isn't she allowed around the camp at least?" Hiro asked.

"Um, if I remember, she can go around, but I don't think GoGo wants her here," Cadence guessed. "Or, she doesn't want her hanging around you. Um, no offense." She held out a quick hand.

"Oh..." Hiro nodded his head somberly. "Um...makes sense."

"Hey guys." Jordan plopped down across from them. He yawned and blinked sleepy eyes. Smacking his mouth, he squinted at them. "Looks like you got some sleep," he murmured. "Lucky," he yawned again. "I got zip."

"That's too bad," Cadence said sympathetically.

Closing his eyes and lowering his head onto the table, Jordan moaned. "I want sleep." His voice was muffled. He suddenly sprang up as if he were hyper. "Oh! Guys! Check it out!" He pinched his shirt and held it out. "It's the one from the laundromat! Yeah? Pretty cool, huh?" It was the button down with the black on it.

"I mean, I saved these bottles for months, but I couldn't decide between the pink or the green nail polish," Taffyta rambled as she and Francis sat down. The boy looked sleepy and his blonde hair was wildly mussed, and he didn't even look like he was paying any attention to Taffyta. "Then I decided green looked better with my socks, so I picked that." Taffyta continued. "Then I wasn't sure about my hair, but I just let it down. Like I always do. And—"

"Uhgkhum," Cadence cleared her throat. Taffyta paused and gave her a cold stare. "No one here wants to hear about your hair or nail polish." Cadence gestured around with a shrug. "No one's paying attention."

"I was talking to Francis."

"He's not listening either." Cadence pointed at Francis, who still had his head on the table. Taffyta opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it with a huff and looked away, sticking out her chin. Cadence sighed wearily.

"Where's Ralph?" Jordan asked, looking around. He stood up, scanned the heads, and sat down. "No one extremely tall with huge hands. Where is that dude?"

"He's with Vanellope," Cadence said.

Hiro looked over at Cadence. "How'd you know so much about it anyway?"

Cadence turned red guiltily and toyed with her hair. "I'm …supposed to be taking one of her watch shifts," she explained. "She can walk around, as long as one of us is with her. She's...supposed to avoid you."

"What does any of this have to do with me?" Hiro protested. "I didn't do anything! Hey! Hey bro! You were there. Did I do _anything_? Exactly. I didn't."

"Hiro, slow down." Cadence reached over and touched his shoulder. "It's not your fault. I know that. Okay?" she withdrew her hand. "GoGo thinks that you might be having some sort of influence on her. That's why you two aren't really supposed to be around each other."

Hiro felt his face grow red. Maybe GoGo didn't like him. So what? It didn't mean he wasn't allowed to hang out with Vanellope. It wasn't fair. Then again, when was the last time GoGo was fair?

"Oh hey," Jordan piped up, looking over the crowd. "I think the food's coming. Everybody, quick! Guess what it'll be," Jordan said seriously.

"Um, something sweet and sugary," Cadence put in.

"Cereal with rice milk," Taffyta suggested.

"I don't even want to know," Francis sniffed groggily.

"Something organic and gluten free," Tadashi offered sarcastically.

Hiro, Jordan, and Francis all snickered.

Jordan nodded. "Okay. I guess that it'll be cereal in rice milk with a glaze of chocolate icing and deep fried sugary croutons on top," he said quickly. Jordan gasped in mock delight as someone slid him a bowl. "Well gosh! Look at that!" he pointed. "I was right!"

Hiro only ate a spoonful. Jordan was still trying to keep up the playful banter, but the solid truth was that it was already a bad morning. Everything seemed less alive, and nobody was there to scold Jordan when he came up with another rap song. And where was Diana? Hiro pushed his bowl away and sighed.

Tadashi looked down at him. "You okay?" he asked and ruffled Hiro's hair. "You have something on your mind. What is it?"

Hiro shook his head. "I'm fine. I'm just tired."

" _Bro_."

"Fred. And Aunt Cass and Baymax. And Vanellope. And Diana. And you."

"Me?" Tadashi asked, confused. "Why are you stressed about me?"

Hiro leaned closer. "You know that I exaggerated you dissecting the Cybug, right?" he hissed in a low voice. Tadashi nodded. "And if you're working with Diana, she's bound to find out. And about Diana, where is she? And then Vanellope's on lock down with Ralph, so I won't be able to see them much. And then Fred's deadline is today. If he doesn't make a good impression on GoGo, he's going out. You and I both know that," Hiro said gloomily. "The truth is...I don't really think that Fred's the learning type. I can't buy him anymore time."

Tadashi let out a solemn breath. "I know." He nudged Hiro. "Hey. I can go talk to Vanellope after this. Okay?" he offered.

Hiro nodded. "Okay."

"And after that, we'll go shooting with Calhoun. Sound fun?"

( 0—0 )

The musty fabric of her tent seemed to keep the heat in. Didn't GoGo know it was sweltering in here? _Even suffocating? Hey, GoGo! Maybe you should try sitting in here!_ Vanellope thought bitterly. She let out a sigh and flopped over on her cot. Hiro's words rang in her mind. _What do you guys do for free time_? Now, she really wished she had an answer. Um, sit in hot tents with nothing to do. Take a nap? Never. Vanellope stuck her head out of the tent and glanced up at Ralph. "You okay?" she asked.

Standing outside like a bodyguard, Ralph looked down at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just sweaty."

Vanellope pouted and sat down on her cot again with a groaning squeak. "Wanna play mancala?" she asked.

"No way, you little guttersnipe. You always beat me."

She let out a frustrated grimace. Man, she hoped Hiro would get out on patrols soon. Because this _stank._ Seriously? Hiro having an influence on her? _What_ was running through GoGo's head? Overprotective. That's what she was. Overprotective. And she still hadn't talked to Diana yet. If she talked to Diana, then maybe Hiro could get out sooner, and then she could get out too. Maybe she could get Ralph to find Diana.

Vanellope stood up when she heard Ralph talking. "Hey…oh yeah. Sure." He called inside to her, "Hey, Vanellope! You have a visitor."

Vanellope's brow furrowed. Visitor?

Tadashi stepped inside and shot her a smile. "Hey."

Vanellope's perplexed expression dropped, replaced with a smile. "Tadashi," she breathed. "I am _so_ glad you came. I think I'm literally going to die of boredom."

Tadashi chuckled and sat down and the cot next to Vanellope. "And I will literally worry about that when it literally happens. How you holding up in here?"

Vanellope sighed and shook her head. "This stinks."

"Oh. Hiro said to ask. You talked to Di yet? Something I don't know about."

Vanellope felt a flush of guilt as she turned bright pink. Chuckling nervously, she toyed with the end of her pony tail. "Yeah, ah ha ha ha, uh...no, not yet. No. But I was just about to do that! I haven't forgotten!" She held out a stern finger.

Tadashi nodded again. "Okay. So the answer's 'no.'"

"How is he, anyway?" Vanellope asked and crossed her legs.

Tadashi shrugged. "I dunno. He was bum when you, Ralph, and Diana weren't there. He really wants to talk to you about something, I think."

"Wait. Di wasn't there?" Vanellope perked up. "But...she should be! Unless..." She held a finger to her mouth. "…is she with Felix?"

Tadashi shrugged. "I dunno. I could go check." He jerked a thumb outside.

Vanellope stood up. "Actually, I want to go with you." She left the tent with Tadashi at her heels. "Hey Ralph! Could I go see Felix?" she asked, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun so she could look at the tall man.

Ralph sighed and nodded. "Alright. Let's go." He scooped Vanellope onto his back. Tadashi followed the two through the camp, wondering when exactly Vanellope was free from her lock down.

"So Tadashi! I was wondering if you know where the Cybugs came from," Vanellope called back at him, with a hopeful tone in her voice.

Tadashi blinked. "What? I—no, no I don't. What made you think I knew?"

Vanellope shrugged. "Well, you dissected a Cybug, right?"

Tadashi gave no answer.

"Well, I thought maybe you had found something. I guess not. Yeah, so then I—oh, uh..." Vanellope stopped.

Hiro stood in front of them, quickly ducking his head and walking off, following Jordan. Probably to play card games. Vanellope watched them go and let out a breath. "Yeah."

Tadashi caught up to her and placed a hand on her knee. She looked down at him as he gave her a reassuring smile. "This'll pass," he said.

Vanellope nodded. "Yeah. It will. Okay." Ralph stopped in front of Felix's canopy. "Let's go check." She pushed the flap aside and stepped inside.

"I'll wait out here," Ralph said.

Some of last night's injured were gone, but a few were left. Most sat on tables or chairs, some chatting with others. Felix quickly skipped over to the two. Vanellope opened her mouth to speak when Felix passed them without a word. Vanellope stopped and clamped her mouth shut. "Oookay, then."

"I'll be with you in a minute," he called.

"Tadashi?" Honey Lemon said and set down a little jar of ointment. "What are you doing here?" she asked and walked over to them.

Tadashi smiled. "We were checking to see if…hey, is that a new shirt?"

"Huh?" Honey Lemon looked down at herself. "Oh. This?" she held out her pale pink shirt. Loose, thin, flowy, it hung down to her thighs. The sleeves came to her elbows, and there was a little tied string in the back, right above the ribs. Underneath was a white tank top and below that, she wore dark gray leggings and flats. Her hair was down, pulled back with her headband. She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I thought I'd wear it today." She tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "When Felix says he'll 'be with you in a minute,' he really means 'I can't talk to you until I'm done with everything I'm doing.' So what can I do for you?"

Tadashi glanced down at Vanellope and shrugged. Vanellope tossed her black bangs out of her eyes. "Um, we were looking for Diana. Is she here?"

Honey Lemon furrowed her brow. "Hm. Diana. _Diana. Diana_ ," she murmured to herself. She rubbed her chin delicately. "Diana. Um, She's here"— she pointed two fingers at the ground—"not as in _right here_ , but she here, as in, like, around here." She twirled her two fingers around, gesturing to the area. "She should be in tent two. Yeah, there are three tents out there—Vanellope, you know already—she's...I think she's in tent _three._ No. I think...no. I'm positive. Number three." She held up three fingers. "She was hurt last night. I think she has a twisted ankle. But nothing really serious."

Tadashi nodded. "Thanks for your help, Honey."

Honey Lemon smiled back brightly. "No problem! See you around!"

Tadashi and Vanellope waved and left the tent while Honey Lemon immediately tended to an older woman who had requested water. Vanellope looked up at Tadashi, who had a faint smile on his lips. She furrowed her brow. "Why are you smiling?"

"Huh? Oh. No reason." Tadashi shoved his hands into his pockets and whistled.

Vanellope's face suddenly brightened and her grin stretched from ear to ear. She let out a cheeky giggle.

Tadashi furrowed his brow. "What?"

"You like her, don't you?" Vanellope clasped her hands and smiled innocently up at him.

"…w-what? _What_? No. No way! I don't like her—! Well, I mean, I like her, but…you know…not like that."

"If you say so…" she said slowly with a knowing smug grin on her face. Vanellope hung a left, where three tents were lined up. White, fading numbers were painted on the flap. She pushed her way into number three, with Tadashi behind her. Inside were around a dozen injured. Nothing serious, though. Vanellope smiled when her gaze rested on the black woman, sitting on a table, who gave them a crinkly-eyed smile. Vanellope and Tadashi weaved through the others to reach her. "Hey, guys!" Diana greeted. "What brings you here?"

"We were looking for you," Vanellope admitted.

Diana nodded and tossed some of her dark hair out of her face. "Aaah. So what's up?" she asked and bent over, crossing her arms over her lap.

Vanellope leaned closer. "Diana..." Okay, how to put it? Vanellope started over. "So you know Hiro got bumped back for the patrols. Right?"

Diana nodded. "Well, technically, he wasn't bumped back. He was actually returned to the original training plan. He was bumped ahead in the first place."

Vanellope shook her head. "Yeah. Oookay. But that's not the point. We were thinking...um." Vanellope bit her lip. "Well, we were wondering if you could talk to GoGo."

Diana's face fell. "GoGo?" she asked doubtfully.

Vanellope gave a short nod. "GoGo."

Diana sighed. "Why would you want me to talk to GoGo?" she asked.

"Well, you see, we were kinda hoping that...you could persuade her to bump Hiro back up again. You know?" Vanellope grinned with a hopeful expression.

Diana returned it with a serious stare. "Vanellope, are you two plotting?"

Vanellope's grin turned into a grimace. She glanced back at Tadashi, who watched the whole conversation. "Yyyyyyeeeesss," she said slowly.

"Vanellope, spill. What are you trying to do?"

"...get Hiro back on a patrol..."

"Why?"

Vanellope glanced back at Tadashi. "To...get him out there?"

" _Why_?"

"So I can get out of lockdown?"

" _Why_ …?"

"To...help him find his _aunt_?" Vanellope squeaked.

Diana stared at Vanellope, who tried on an innocent smile, hands clasped behind her back. _Let me guess. Her fingers are crossed._ Diana thought bitterly. She pursed her lips and hung her head, letting out a low chuckle. "Man," she grinned, almost darkly.

Vanellope looked up at her. "What?"

Diana lifted her head, her eyes narrowed and a wicked grin on her face. "Why am I not surprised?" she chuckled again. "Do you know what GoGo would do to me if she knew that I was trying to help Hiro find his aunt?" she said, a bit too loudly. She quickly closed her eyes, drew in a breath, and let it out. Opening her eyes, she pushed some hair out of her face. "You do know, don't you?"

Vanellope bit her lip. "Yes?" she offered.

Diana straightened, looking down at Vanellope with disapproval. Why was she even helping Hiro? Lots of kids came in with missing relatives. Yet with Hiro...okay. Something was wonky with Vanellope. Maybe she should just say no and get it over with. Did Vanellope think she _liked_ talking to GoGo? Well gee, of course not! Who would want to face down ten tons of sharp, face-punching knuckles and pure bad attitude boiled down into one very bad-tempered punk teenager? She knew _she_ didn't. Cruelty. She didn't like the memory of her sister popping up whenever she thought of GoGo. There was nothing wrong with Gabby. She was just trying to save her little sister! For the love of Pete! What did GoGo have against her sister trying to save her? She fought back the memory, willing it away. Hiro didn't deserve to have GoGo tell him that he couldn't have his aunt. Nobody deserved to have GoGo tell them they couldn't have someone they loved. Neither did she. Maybe...this was for GoGo. In the future. She sighed and crossed her arms. "You, Vanellope, are one very, _very_ , very lucky girl." She looked away. "I'm gonna have fun with this," she muttered sarcastically.

"Wait. So you...you—sweet Mother of Monkey Milk! THANKS!" Vanellope exclaimed and threw her arms around Diana's neck. "Thanky, thanky, thanky!" She let go with a grin plastered over her face. "I'm gonna tell H—...oh," she stopped. She looked up at Tadashi. "Um...you're okay with all of this. Right?" she asked quickly.

"I wouldn't advise going behind GoGo's back, but..." Tadashi nodded. "I'm okay with it. And I can tell Hiro for you. Okay?"

"Okay." Vanellope nodded. "Thanks. Tadashi." She latched her arms around his waist in a hug. " _I also won't tell you like Honey Lemon_ ," she hissed.

Tadashi stiffly patted her head. " _You'd better not_ ," he hissed back. He nudged her. "No problem," he said, switching back to normal as he followed the girl outside. He really wondered how this was going to play out. There was obviously something he didn't know about Diana. But...if this really worked, he hoped Hiro could find Aunt Cass and Baymax soon.


	9. Chapter VIII: Test in the Ruins

It had been about two weeks. Not long enough in her opinion. GoGo let out an annoyed breath. Just _watching_ him shoot made her feel threatened. Well, not threatened, but encroaching. One her. If it hadn't been for Diana, she would have the pleasure of watching that kid break under her weight. But no more. He was already due for his first actual patrol tomorrow. And she didn't like it.

Vanellope seemed excited, and Diana seemed relieved. She narrowed her brown eyes and Hiro fired, the bullet splintering a crate near the center. Not too close, but close enough to make her wonder. Everybody seemed really excited about Hiro's patrol. For some _unknown_ reason.

Vanellope could just be excited because her detention ended tomorrow. Or then again, it could be something with the kid himself. And Diana seemed a little bit excited too. Why? Clueless. She walked away. But she was going to find out what was going on.

Nodding, she passed Wasabi, taking out another patrol. And tomorrow, Hiro would be on it. Way too soon. She tossed her purple bangs out of her eyes. The three were going behind her back. Something in her gut told her. But how could all three of them benefit from Hiro going on the patrol? Vanellope? Ending her detention. Diana? Zip. Nothing seemed to make sense. She stalked into the small tent, where she knew Diana hunched over her little organisms, picking apart mud and grit, fascinated by the microscopic world.

Pushing away the tent flap, she stepped into the stifling hot tent. Inside, there was no Diana. Odd. Very odd. She walked back out. Well, it was probably best she didn't talk to Di. Someone else, though. She walked back to where Calhoun was sending Hiro off. Perfect timing. She grabbed Calhoun's arm stiffly, her fingers digging into her leather jacket. Calhoun seemed a bit startled by the gesture, but knew she wanted to talk. She leaned in.

"Calhoun," GoGo breathed, "I want you to watch Hiro for me."

"Why?" Calhoun asked.

GoGo watched Hiro turn the corner. "Just watch him, see where he goes, who he talks to, what he talks about, if you can grab it. I just need to know what he's doing." GoGo released Calhoun's arm. She walked on as if nothing happened. _Hopefully, Hiro's cat will be out of the bag._ Walking past the dining tent, she heard hoots and whoops. She stopped, her brows furrowed. Stepping closer, she peeked through the gap in the back wall of the canopy. Inside, Fred and Joey were stirring together something sticky and stretching, the color of sandpaper. It did not look good. Without Fred, Joey would at least be making something boring, like, boxed food. But Ever since Fred came along...

Why wasn't Fred gone, anyway? She backed away and cursed under her breath. Stupid. Tonight, she was going to test him. She stole one more glance at the duo before walking away. It was time to make Fred some preparations. Where was Andy? GoGo marched off into the crowd of people passing through, trying to get to the dining tent. Pity they were going to have sludge, for lunch. They hadn't had real food in a while. "ANDY!" she yelled.

The man a few feet ahead of her pushed against the crowds, fighting his way back to GoGo. He had ruddy skin with brown stubble on his chin and short-cut hair, his expression dark. Light scars ran down the side of his face. He stood in front of GoGo. "You need me?" he asked, his voice gruff. He towered over the short teen, making her look twelve.

GoGo stared back up at him with narrow eyes, undaunted. She and Andy had never really been on friendly terms, but at least he didn't question her. Most of the time. She crossed her arms. "I want you to take Fred on a patrol tonight. Leave at seven, and call me before you go."

She turned to leave when Andy grabbed her arm in his thick hand. "Why seven?" he asked skeptically, peering at her sideways.

GoGo looked at him. "That business is my own." GoGo ripped her arm out of the man's grasp and walked away.

Andy watched her go. He wasn't sure, but he'd say that she was up to something. He drifted with the crowd to the dining tent, where he sat down next to Calhoun. The women looked at him. They were both wearing troubled frowns. Andy smirked. "She talked to you, too?" he asked.

Calhoun hunched over. "What did she want this time?"

Andy pointed over at Fred, standing at the head of the long line of picnic tables. Calhoun turned. "Him," Andy replied simply.

" _Him_?" Calhoun exclaimed. "What does GoGo want with him?" she said and groaned as the lanky boy laughed with Joey at his side. They both looked like childhood friends, sticking together and goofing off. They looked natural together. Kindred spirits in the art of jokes. "He's so stupid he can't be of any use to her," Calhoun said and turned back to Andy.

The older man merely grunted and shook his head. "Wants to give him his test," he said and lifted a cup to his mouth

"How?"

Andy paused and looked at Calhoun over the rim of his cup. He drank a gulp and set the cup down. The water tasted warm and metallic. "She wants me to take him on a patrol out to the ruins, but at seven."

"Seven." Calhoun raised her eyebrows. "That's Cybug time."

"Exactly. I think she wants to test him against them."

"Really?" Calhoun said and crossed her arms, saying it as if he'd just said 'I can crochet.' She looked around at the others and leaned in. "Have you noticed that GoGo's cutting our numbers?" she hissed.

Andy had been in the middle of drinking and choked, thumping his chest with his fist. "What?" he coughed hoarsely.

Calhoun looked around again. "The way Fred's 'test' sounds"—she made little air quotes with her fingers— "seems like GoGo wants to drag him out," she said and picked grit out from beneath her nails. Andy narrowed his eyes. "And the week before last, she wanted to drag out Tara and Akihito, but she only didn't because I told her that they were good scavengers. They seem to have a mind for looking for supplies. Like water. I can't believe GoGo would want to get rid of them," Calhoun muttered through gritted teeth. "Without them, we'd be squirming on the ground, screaming for aqua with hoarse voices." She drummed her fingers on the table. "And then she wanted to drag out Greg."

Andy's eyes went wide. "But didn't he leave with the Reds?" he asked.

Calhoun shook her head. "She dragged him out and said that he deserted," she said bitterly. "I was there." She looked up at Andy. "I can't believe that she's the one in charge."

"Shut up," Andy said and downed the rest of his water. "You know what she does with mutiny. Be careful what you say."

Calhoun smirked and nodded. "Alright. Let her drag out our source of water and supplies. When we start to die of hunger and thirst, we can blame the monkeys."

Andy shook his head. "No, GoGo's a good head. Not worth overthrowing."

Calhoun shrugged. "No one's forcing you."

( 0—0 )

He really wished he'd saved that seven of hearts for later.

With a sigh, Hiro scooped up the four heart cards with a grumpy look at Diana, who gave a sad, little shrug. Jordan had been able to convince him, Di, and Tadashi to play a game of hearts. And he was losing badly. Already, he'd played _and kept_ his queen of spades, along with a dozen heart cards. It looked like Di was winning.

"Okay, four more cards," Jordan said and tossed down a two of diamonds. Tadashi placed down a six, Hiro played another seven. He bit his lip, watching Diana scan all her cards. Hopefully, she had a lower diamond card. Diana smugly pulled out a card and primly laid it next to the rest. A ten of hearts. Hiro could've cursed. He grabbed the cards and slapped them onto his pile. This wasn't looking good. The last three card rounds were played, and Hiro took three out of three. "Count up!" Jordan said and fanned out his points. Tadashi, Hiro, and Diana did the same. "Two," he reported.

"Zero hearts," Diana announced proudly.

"Three," Tadashi said.

Hiro counted his. "Eight hearts with a Queen of Spades," he groaned ruefully and ran his fingers through his sweaty hair.

Jordan scooped the cards up. "Okay, Diana obviously wins, and Hiro..." He gave waved a hand at Hiro sadly, "Obviously loses. Sorry, dude."

Hiro sputtered. "Give me a break," he said and crossed his legs. "Okay. I'm horrible at hearts. What do you think Dashi?" he asked. "Tadashi?" he asked again.

His older brother turned around to blink at him. "Sorry. What were you saying?" he asked with an apologetically embarrassed grin.

Hiro let out a breath. "Oh. Nothing. It's just, I'm awesome at hearts. That's all," Hiro sniffed modestly. "Okay. Let's play Set, or something. NO hearts."

"Sure," Jordan said and got up, stretching. "Oooooookay. I'll go get it," he said and disappeared into his tent in search of the little black box where the cards were kept. The three could hear something fall the floor in a heap. It sounded like something spilled. Like cards. "Aw, crap!" Jordan muttered.

Hiro was about to say something when he saw the unmistakable sheen of green hair. Cadence emerged through the thin crowd. And right next to her was Vanellope. She and Hiro seemed to freeze when they saw each other. Hiro quickly looked down at his hands, hiding his eyes through his bangs. He chanced a little wave, which Vanellope didn't reply to as she quickly changed direction.

Hiro sighed. Two weeks, not being able to talk to Vanellope. Just acknowledging she existed. Ralph, Cadence, and Francis were taking turns watching Vanellope, and Taffyta was bound to be wherever Francis was.

"Hey, guys!" Everybody seemed to freeze.

Or not.

Taffyta sauntered over. "So whatcha doing out here under the sun?" she asked casually, striking a pose as she crossed her arms.

Jordan was just about to come out when he saw Taffyta. "Oh. I forgot instructions. Whoops," he muttered and dove back into his tent, digging around through his cards some more.

Everybody already knew how to play Set.

"We were just about to start a game of Set, actually. Oh, would you like to join us? I can find you an extra seat," Di said in a way that sounded like 'get lost.' Nevertheless, Tadashi and Hiro shot Diana warning glances.

Tafftya laughed. "Heh, heh, um, no. Not really. Card games...you know. They aren't my thing," she said and tossed her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder. "Well, I won't hold you guys up." She slowly placed a hand on the back of Hiro's chair. The way she did it looked like a cat. Her fingers were starting to brush the back of Hiro's neck and he drew back, stiff. She glanced down at Hiro with a sickeningly sweet smile, making him turn red. "So…maybe _later_ , do you…wanna do something?" she asked.

Hiro gulped. "Uh…u-um, I…I-I-I'm _actually_ …supposed t-to help. Tadashi. Do the stuff. Uh, the, uh, the car. The car needs…my help. Today. Later," he stammered.

Laughing again, she drew her hand back smoothly, her green fingernails tickling Hiro's neck as they went. "Oh, that's too bad. Well, I'll see you around," she said and walked off like a princess.

"What was that about?" Tadashi asked skeptically.

Hiro's eyes widened when he saw Diana peering at him with the same expression. He shook his head. "I-I dunno. Seriously! I don't!" He shuddered. "I mean, did you hear me? I stuttered! What the heck?"

Tadashi crossed his arms. "Huh. I didn't like the way she was touching your neck," he said protectively, looking grossed out. Hiro rubbed his neck, almost as if rubbing off any traces of green nail-polish that Taffyta's fingers might have left.

"Yeah. I thought she was hooked on Francis." Diana furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean? She is!" Hiro protested.

Diana shook her head and crossed her arms. "Not anymore, she isn't. She's hitting on you."

Hiro turned white, frozen.

"Huh? What's that?" Jordan poked his head out of the tent excitedly. "Does someone like Hiro?" he asked.

"Apparently. Taffyta's hitting on him."

"Huh?"

"Flirting."

"Right. I knew that." Jordan sat back down in his chair. "Alright, time to forget about Taffyta. Set, anyone?" Jordan said and set the cards out. "I was shuffling the cards in there for, like, forever, waiting for her to go away." He had just flipped over the first card when Ralph came running up, making the flimsy table wobble. "Ralph? What's going on?" Jordan called from the shade of the overhanging tarp hanging above their heads.

Ralph panted. "Guess what? I was talking to Andy."

"Who's Andy?" Jordan asked.

"This guy. Anyway. I was talking to Andy, and he said that GoGo's gonna give Fred his test tonight," he said. "I thought you guys might want to know." He gestured to Hiro and Tadashi.

Diana whistled. "She's been putting it off for forever, I thought she was never going to get around to it, but she's finally remembered. WHOOO! YOU GO, GIRL!" she whooped and cheered out loud to no one in particular. "What's it going to be?"

Ralph ruffled his brown hair. "Uh, lemme think...it was a patrol, I think. Yeah, in the evening, and Andy wants me to be on it." His face fell. "Oh, uh, she wanted it to be at night to see how he'd handle the Cybugs," he said.

"What?" Hiro and Tadashi both stood up. "Fred will never be able to take on a _baby_ Cybug!" Hiro protested. "What is GoGo thinking?"

Tadashi sat back down. "He's never gonna make it," he said. "He's not going to pass. Which means that GoGo will kick him out." Tadashi bit his lip. "This isn't good, and something tells me this is intentional."

Hiro sat back down slowly. Tadashi was right. Fred would never make it. GoGo was probably manipulating the test to make sure Fred would flunk. He ran his fingers through his sweaty hair again. He'd finally run out of time. And he didn't think Diana could talk to GoGo again.

He watched as Tadashi stood up. "I'm going on that patrol," he said.

"Whoa, now!" Diana said and dragged him back into his seat. "You're not a patrol member. You work with me. Remember?" she said and gave him a gentle knock on the head with her knuckles.

"But Fred won't make it!" Tadashi protested.

"Yeah, uh, hey buddy, you aren't allowed on the patrol anyway," Ralph said.

Hiro and Tadashi both snapped their heads up. "Why?" Hiro asked.

Ralph held his hands behind his back and rocked back and forth on the heels of his bare feet. "Uh, GoGo doesn't want anybody that he knows to be with him on the patrol. So, you guys wouldn't be allowed to come anyway," he explained sheepishly.

Jordan looked at the four. "Uh, okay...I get the sense that this is bad."

Tadashi sighed. He wiped a hand down his face with a groan and looked up at Ralph, who looked like he wanted to disappear. "Ralph, can I trust you?"

Ralph suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Uh...depends."

"I want you to keep a secret."

"...deeeeepends."

"I'm…going to sneak out tonight. I'm telling you because you wouldn't let me down," Tadashi said with all the seriousness he could muster.

Ralph groaned. "Oi yeesh. You know, I'm really debating whether or not I should've told you about this whole thing."

"Tadashi, don't," Jordan said. "Trust me, if GoGo finds out...uh, well, you really don't want her to find out."

"She won't find out," Tadashi said.

Hiro felt a sinking feeling in his gut. "Um, are you sure...?"

"Hiro, I am _going._ Ralph, when does the patrol leave?"

"Can't tell you that," Ralph said. "No, okay. It's at seven."

Tadashi nodded. "Right." He looked down at Jordan. "That' game will have to wait, Jordan. Sorry."

Jordan shrugged. "No prob, dude. Just don't get caught."

Tadashi nodded. "I don't plan to." He walked away. Hiro slid out of his chair with an apologetic nod at Jordan and ran after Tadashi, hearing Jordan convince Ralph to play a game of set. "Tadashi! Hey, bro! Wait." He caught up to his older brother, puffing. "Wait. I want to come with you, too."

"Hiro, I really—"

"Need me to come," Hiro finished his sentence.

"For _what_?"

"Shooting," Hiro said, dead serious.

Tadashi looked down at his little brother, who stared defiantly up at him. With a relenting sigh, he nodded. "Okay. But it's six thirty now. We'd better hurry up." He pointed at him. "But no sass."

( 0—0 )

"GoGo." Calhoun stalked up the teen who turned around to stare at her.

She watched Calhoun approach. "What have you found out about Hiro?" GoGo asked, crossing her arms and popping a pink gum bubble.

Calhoun looked around and leaned forward. "Hiro and Tadashi seem to be hanging out with Diana a lot. Also, once, I saw Tadashi talking to Vanellope. But today, I saw them talking with Ralph about Fred's patrol."

GoGo smirked. "Word really gets around," she chuckled. "Go on."

"Ralph told them practically all about it, and Hiro and Tadashi are planning to sneak out and follow us." Calhoun waited for GoGo to tell her to put the two on lock down, but she did nothing.

"Hm." GoGo nodded her head.

"Well, what do want to do?" Calhoun asked.

GoGo looked up at her slyly. "Don't do anything," she said.

"What?"

"Let them come. Let's see how far Hiro is willing to go for Fred," she said and walked away before Calhoun could point out that that didn't make sense. But really, GoGo wanted Hiro to come. She had never liked that kid anyway. If she could drag Fred into danger they all knew he couldn't survive, then Hiro would jump out and make a daring rescue. She'd catch Hiro red handed. Maybe if she kept catching Hiro, she'd be able to drag him out. She chewed her gum thoughtfully. That would be nice.

( 0—0 )

His hands fidgeting nervously, Fred tried to grip his gun. He wasn't sure how the others did it, but they held their cool. Almost naturally. It was like they were comfortable out here, where Cybugs lurked around in the shadows of the dark ruins. He wanted to give an evil chuckle at the thought, but GoGo was watching him out of the corner of her eyes. Fred quickly ducked his head, unsure about how to act under her watch.

GoGo had been silent for the most part, watching his every move. The others—Ralph, and three named Calhoun, Andy, and Wasabi—all seemed to ignore him. Which was perfectly fine with him. For all he cared, they could even act like he wasn't even there. The serious types kinda gave him the creeps. GoGo, with all her silence and dubious glances, gave him the most chills. She seemed to have an aura of iciness. He shivered.

They had been out here for a while. He didn't quite get what walking through abandoned streets and peering into empty alleys was going to reveal about him. But GoGo seemed sure that it would do something. Fred secretly wished for the hot, muggy kitchen, laughing with Joey while mixing confectioner's glaze with duck sauce and paprika. That was the most fun he'd had in a while. And he'd hoped he wouldn't have to come back to this place anytime soon. Well, that idea was shattered now. He glanced at a dying street lamp, sputtering alone in the darkness. Where had all the colorful neon of the city lights gone two months ago? This place should have been lit up like a firework show. Now, it was dark.

And being with a bunch of foreboding grownups didn't seem to help either. Maybe a joke would help. Fred quickly fell in step with a black man. "Hey. What's your name again?" he asked quietly. GoGo seemed to take notice of his conversation.

"Wasabi," the man replied.

"Oh. Wasabi. Well then, can I tell you a joke?"

"No."

"Well here's how it goes." Fred cleared his throat. "So, there's a plane with three people in it. If they say something and jump out of the plane, they'll land in whatever they say. So, the brown head jumps out and say 'pillows', so they land in pillows. The red head says 'marshmallows', so they jump out and land in marshmallows. The blonde head tripped jumping out of the plane and said 'oh crap.' Get it? She landed in crap!" Fred doubled over in laughter.

" _Fred_!" GoGo hissed.

He fell silent. GoGo marched up to him and jabbed a finger at his chest. "If you don't _shut up_ , then Cybugs will find us, and then we'll have the pleasure of fighting them off. You wanna do that?" GoGo glared at him.

Fred gulped and shook his head. "No," he said meekly.

"Good." GoGo drew closer. "Then _shut up._ " She continued on. Fred bit his lip. Charming. Really. He looked up at Wasabi for any sign of laughter of a smile, but there was none on his face. He only gave a withering sigh and looked away. Fred looked down. Man, he really hated patrols. Looking behind him, he could've sworn he heard something.

Calhoun bumped him as she brushed past. "Move," she muttered.

Fred moved. He picked up his pace, stopping with Wasabi. Out of all of them, besides Ralph, he liked Wasabi the best. He wasn't exactly nice, but he wasn't _mean_ , either. He clutched his gun in his trembling hands, keeping his finger as far away from the trigger as possible. He really didn't want to have to shoot a gun right now. He risked one last glance behind him. He was _positive_ he heard something. And the only thing that he could think of was a Cybug. And that was really, _really_ the last thing he wanted to run into right now.

( 0—0 )

Hiro grit his teeth. He was so clumsy sometimes. "He might've heard me," he breathed. His foot had slipped on that stupid piece of trash back-a-ways.

Next to him, Tadashi laid on his stomach, peeking up over a hill of junk. Fred's patrol was about to round a corner. He shook his head. "No…I don't think so. Besides, Ralph already knows we're out here." He waved a hand at him. "Let's go."

The two boys slowly stood up and vaulted over the trash, quietly sliding down the road, following behind the patrol. Hiro could only imagine what Fred was feeling right now. Alone, scared, defenseless. He wasn't exactly confident that Fred remembered his shooting sessions with his teacher. It certainly didn't look like it. He'd heard some hooting laughter a bit back. Fred must have tried to lighten things up. It was something he would do. But he couldn't understand why GoGo wanted to bring him out here. It wasn't going to reveal anything in Fred that was highly useful. They'd all seen it and Hiro knew it was coming.

Fred was not the learning type. Hiro wasn't sure Fred was going to be with this gang for much longer. He followed Tadashi down the street, trying not to kick anything that would give them away. They watched Fred and the others turn the corner. Slowly, the brothers edged along the wall of the building the patrol had just rounded. Tadashi held out his hand, stopping Hiro while he peered down the street, where the group maneuvered around a broken trolley bus. Tadashi nodded, starting after them.

Hiro grabbed his arm. "Wait," he said. "Why did GoGo bring Fred out here?" Hiro wondered aloud. Tadashi looked at him, puzzled. "I mean, she knows that he doesn't have any skill in fighting. So why bother bringing him out here? It doesn't make sense. All this is going to do is kill him."

Tadashi nodded and glanced back down the street. "I've thought about that."

"You have?"

"Yeah. GoGo's up to something." Tadashi pursed his lips. "But there's no time. Let's go." They started down the street, Tadashi waving Hiro on. With the guns slung over their shoulders, they made their way carefully around the previous trolley bus. Peering through the glass, Hiro saw the empty, abandoned seats, broken or cracked, and the walls were dented, filled with scratched and peeling paint. He brushed his fingers across the rough rail bars, feeling the paint chip off. It was broken and forgotten. The feeling was sad. Hiro turned his head and left it behind. Tadashi held his hand behind Hiro's back, pushing him forward. "Move," he said quietly. Fred's group had already disappeared into the darkness. Hiro shivered, feeling watched. It was probably nothing. Just some sort of chill in the air. But he couldn't help but wonder who else was out here. Besides them. Hiro glanced around. He could feel that they weren't the only ones.

And that's when they heard the gunshots.


	10. Chapter IX: Red Handed

Fred screamed like a little girl. GoGo yelled orders and the others started to shoot in the direction of the now pelting bullets. Fred fell to his knees in the midst of the chaos. "I DON'T WANNA DIE!" he wailed.

"MOVE YOUR BUTT!" GoGo screamed at him and grabbed the helpless boy by the shirt collar, dragging him behind a broken Honda. The glass windows above them splintered with bullets, raining glass. Fred panted heavily and squeezed his eyes shut. He hated it out here. He never wanted to come here. He never wanted to go on the patrol. He never wanted to be alone, when all his friends were back at the gang camp. He felt abandoned, scared.

GoGo pinched him sharply on the arm. "You scream again, then maybe I should shoot you instead of those thugs."

Fred shrank back, wanting to cry but knowing that if GoGo caught him, he'd be gone for sure. Looking his gun over, he knew one false move could produce a hole through his head. He knew that the trigger was for shooting, but then what did you do after that? He kept his hand on the trigger and sprang up, making a blind shot in the darkness. Only, the gun didn't shoot. Nothing came spiraling out the barrel. He freaked out, whacking his gun on the cars side, hoping to jar something loose. But nothing happened. It was almost as if his trigger was stuck. But the others were shooting just fine. Wasabi and Calhoun were pros. What was wrong with his gun? He shook it frantically, uttering high-pitched, unintelligible babble, trying to get his gun to work. "Just...shoot, you stinking...AGH!" _Broken. That's what it was. Broken._ GoGo had given him a defect.

Little did he know that the safety button was on.

GoGo stood up and fired her gun into the darkness, hoping for a shot. She didn't know what they were up against. It could be another gang, or it could be a Cybug who had eaten a gun. She didn't know which. Then again, if it were a Cybug, then there would be a faint, green glow. There was none. A bullet nearly hit her forehead, but hit the car, showering hot sparks onto the bridge of her nose. She seethed her teeth and spit on her hand, rubbing it on her forehead to make the pain stop. She sidled up to Calhoun. "Gang?" she asked.

Calhoun nodded. "But it could be either." She made a shot above the hood.

"Got a light?" GoGo asked.

Calhoun slapped a battery-sized flashlight in her hand. "Only thing I got."

GoGo could've cursed. She tied it onto her gun with the flashlight strap and pointed the gun into the darkness. Then, she saw something flash through the dim beam of light. She quickly fired, but missed. She pulled back down and ripped the light off. Beside her, Fred was shaking, too shocked to speak. A thick, clunky flashlight hung around his neck. She snatched if off him with a frantic grab, nearly strangling him as she flicked it on. There, shielding the light from their eyes with their hands, were two girls. Their neon green earrings glinted in the light.

"GREENS!" GoGo yelled. "WE'VE GOT GREENS!"

Caught in the light, the girls ducked down behind pieces of broken cement walls. A man jumped up and shot at them with a machinegun, the bullets firing from the barrel at top speed, making a nice line of bullet holes in the Honda. Fred gave another shrill scream. GoGo punched his face, and his scream was cut short. She cocked her gun.

Time to give those Greens what they came for.

( 0—0 )

From above, it sounded like all hell had broken loose. Hiro bit his lip, trying to keep from letting out a startled yell of his own when a bullet strayed too far from the patrol huddled behind the bullet-abused Honda. Tadashi cocked his gun and held it out, taking aim. Hiro's eyes widened. "Dude, dude, what are you doing?" he hissed.

"Making a shot in the dark," Tadashi replied and fired, the gun crack piercing the air. Hiro heard a shrill scream. It was Fred. The first thing that popped into mind was that Tadashi shot Fred. Then his scream was cut short in a cry of pain. Next thought was that he had been shot again, dead. Hiro took out his own revolver and cocked it. Pointing it down, he aimed for wherever the other guys were and pulled the trigger. He'd heard something moving, like the sound of shuffling wreckage. Had it been the others from other gangs? Hiro wondered how they were identified. But he would have to ask later.

A flashlight shone from behind the Honda, revealing two girls, around sixteen, shielding their eyes. One had blonde hair that was pulled back into a bun, and the other was black with dark hair in a boy cut. That's when he heard GoGo yell "GREENS."

( 0—0 )

GoGo bit her lip. The flash light gripped firmly in her hands, Calhoun aimed and shot almost perfectly. The girl with the dark hair aimed her gun and shot straight at GoGo. GoGo let out a scream of pain as the bullet flew right past her, grazing her cheek. The flashlight flew out of her hands. She held her hands to her face, feeling the warm blood drip through her tense fingers as she seethed her teeth. "Crap," she muttered. She grabbed the flashlight again and held it up, glaring right back at the black girl.

Something tugging her shirt, she looked down to see Fred shaking. "Let's get out of here!" he pleaded.

Then it came back to her.

This was Fred's test. Well, it was time. She dragged him to his feet. "So here's what you do. You go out there and charge in. Distract them. We'll cover you from back here."

"What?" Before Fred could reply, GoGo had shoved him out into the open, right in the middle of the gun fire. Fred crumpled to his knees and fell on the ground, sobbing pitifully, his hands clutched over his aqua dragon cap. He was about to die. He was going to die here. Someone would shoot him, and he'd die. The thought of death being so imminent was beyond scary.

It was terrifying.

"FRED! DO IT!" GoGo yelled. Other than Ralph who couldn't use his fists anywhere here, the others were trying to reload. Only Wasabi had time to shoot. He held out his gun, but before he pulled the trigger, a gunshot filed the air. GoGo looked at Wasabi, who shook his head. It wasn't the Greens. She told him to wait. The gun shot came again, and then she realized that it was coming from somewhere else. It was coming from the mound of wreckage to the left. Her eyes narrowed, Fred forgotten. There was someone else out here. Was it more Greens? Or was it Reds? …Or was Hiro and Tadashi?

As her attention turned back to Fred, GoGo jumped out and shoved him forward, the boy landing awkwardly on his face. "WE'LL COVER YOU! RUSH 'EM!" She ducked behind the Honda, waiting to see if Fred was really as much of a coward as she thought. She thought she heard a yell. Looking up, she saw someone run out from behind the wreckage mound. Her flashlight instantly flew to the figure, who was now caught in the light.

Red handed. It was Tadashi. She couldn't help but grin. He was caught. But where was Hiro?

As if on cue, Hiro flew out of the shadows, joining his brother, who ran straight into the rain of bullets. With his arm over his head, Hiro tried to duck the bullets the machinegun-man was firing as he grabbed Fred's arm and dragged the other up. Before either of them could say something, Tadashi yelled something and jumped on top of them, slamming them to the ground. The man who had been looking at Hiro had just missed the three by inches. Tadashi dragged them up. "HIRO! TAKE FRED AND GO! _NOW_!" he yelled, pushing the two away from the gun fire.

" _I'm not leaving you_!" Hiro protested with a frightened Fred clinging to him.

"HIRO, GO NOW OR I'LL MAKE YOU!" Tadashi yelled.

Hiro quickly dragged Fred away to safety, watching his brother fire a few more shots and backing away slowly. The Greens were trying to shoot him, and GoGo really wished she could as well. But that wouldn't look very good in front of the others. Ralph hid his eyes in his hand.

So Ralph knew about the two. She glanced at the others. They were almost out of bullets. This wasn't going anywhere, and all they were going to do was get themselves killed.

She grit her teeth. "MOVE! Get out of here! Let's GO!" she ordered the others. Without a word, the others darted away, following Hiro and Tadashi. GoGo hated to give up a fight, but this was just going to get ugly if they stayed any longer. She brought up the rear and ran as fast as her legs could take her down the road. Chancing a look back, she checked for any Greens on their tail. None. Slowing her pace, she breathed heavily. The others stopped as well. Tadashi and Hiro were with Fred up ahead. Well, she knew that Fred's test was just going to be either his death or his refusal of acceptance into the gang. So in a nutshell, Fred's test was success. He failed. But she was just getting to the good part. Hiro and Tadashi? Sneaking out to save Fred? This was gonna be entertaining.

Marching up to the three boys, she poked a finger at Fred's chest. "What were you thinking, you IDIOT! I told you to get out there and distract them while we covered you! And what did you do? You sank to your knees, and cried like a baby. Bravo," she said in sarcastic tone, dripping with fury. "Since you were so stupid, having no idea how to act in a real-life scenario, I wanna find you _gone_ in the morning."

"Well, you punched me in the eye," Fred rebutted grimly. "I couldn't really think. I really didn't..." he sniffed. "I didn't know what to do. It was all so...so..."

"So _what_?" GoGo asked menacingly. She took a step closer. "Real?" Her voice sent a chill up Fred's spine. "Well guess what? That's what happens every day," GoGo said, pointing behind them. "That's reality out here. Guns, blood, and violence. It doesn't matter if you hate violence. It happens. And you CLEARLY don't know how to handle it. And if you don't know how to handle reality," she paused, letting her words soak in, "then there's no place for you in my gang."

Fred seemed to shrink under her gaze. He wanted to disappear.

"Well, I don't blame Fred," Tadashi spoke up, taking a step forward. GoGo snapped her head towards him, a grin creeping over her lips. "You practically pushed him into the aim of flying bullets. I can't believe you _did_ that! What are you trying to _do_? Get him _killed_?"

GoGo grinned and took a step toward Tadashi. "So," she said. "This is the guy who would risk his life to save a bag of dirt?" She laughed. "I'm disappointed in you. I didn't think you were the kind to disobey rules, Tadashi. I'm not sure if _Ralph_ told you," she said and shot a sharp glance at Ralph. " _You and Hiro weren't permitted to come._ Which part of that _don't_ you understand?" GoGo spat.

Tadashi stared down at GoGo while Hiro watched from the side, worried. "You're right," Tadashi said. "I don't usually like to break rules. But if someone put one of my friend's life in danger, then I'd gladly break the rules. But what you just did back there..." Tadashi struggled for words, "That was a _murder act_. Imagine. What if Fred had died? Would you want blood on your hands?" Tadashi asked darkly. "You'd be a murderer."

"Sticks and stones," GoGo smiled sickeningly.

"GoGo, even now, you're crossing the line. How far are you willing to go? Far enough to start turning on your own friends?" Tadashi took a step back. "Even _you_ can't be that unreasonable."

GoGo reached up slowly and sharply grabbed Tadashi by the shirt collar, pulling him down so she could hiss in his ear. "Then _you don't know me very well._ " She gave him a push away. "You and I and _even Hiro_ , we all knew that Fred had no place in this gang from the beginning. Just letting him stay was only going to delay the inevitable. And _you_ , you especially knew this." GoGo turned to Hiro who was trying to shrink into the darkness. "Why do you want to stall for time?"

Hiro felt a shiver creep up his neck. GoGo was on to him. He was going to have to find Aunt Cass, fast. Before GoGo found out, and who knows what would happen if when she did. But he couldn't let her know. And it might risk his patrol tomorrow. He bit his lip and tried to stare down GoGo. But he made no answer. GoGo's eyes narrowed as she leaned closer until her nose was only a few inches away from his. " _You're up to something_ ," she hissed, her words splitting the silence like sharp knives. " _Sooner or later, I'll find out._ " She pulled away and said nothing. Hiro was waiting for some sort of punishment, but nothing came. GoGo turned away. "Let's head back," she said finally. "Ralph. Calhoun. Hold them."

Ralph stepped forward and pulled Tadashi's hands behind his back, holding them firmly with his big hand. "I told you not to come," Ralph whispered mournfully. Tadashi made no reply.

Calhoun grabbed Hiro's hands and held them behind his back, shoving him forward roughly. "Move it," she muttered and looked down at the kid. She couldn't help but feel a little proud of him. Her lessons had paid off. She was just sorry that they had to be used this way. He wasn't her best student, but he was pretty good. And she rarely got 'pretty good' students. But this kid might be the cause of many changes around here. She could feel it in her gut. GoGo had been acting more protective, harsh, and ruthless ever since Hiro and his brother arrived what seemed like yesterday. Though GoGo looked ruthless already, it took a lot to make GoGo even more ruthless than she already was. There was something in this kid GoGo didn't like. Which meant that she was going to do something about it. She didn't know what or when, but she could only guess it would be ugly. Some things were going to change for the better and some were going to change for the worse.

But Calhoun would never let GoGo on to her theory. She couldn't help but feel smug. GoGo may be on to Hiro and Tadashi, but she was on to GoGo. She tightened her grip around Hiro's wrists. Hiro made a little grunt and squeezed his hands apart, as if to tell her to loosen her grip. The kid also had gut. She wouldn't call it courage, exactly, but he had gut. Going out into the middle of a gun fight to save his dope friend, she wouldn't have seen that coming. Hiro sighed regretfully and trudged on. Calhoun noticed that he was staring intently at GoGo's back. She could've sworn that she saw something stirring in Hiro's eyes. The look seemed just as smug as she felt. That didn't look good.

( 0—0 )

It could only be suspected that GoGo would call off Hiro's patrol. But thankfully, she didn't call off her lock down release, or she was never going to get out of here. She and Hiro still got to go out on Andy's patrol, but GoGo had just made Hiro skip dinner, so he'd have to go out on an empty stomach. It wasn't like her, but maybe this was just her being generous. Or just being nice to her locked-up little sister. That was probably it.

With a rueful sigh, Vanellope ran her fingers quickly through her hair and waited for 4:00. It would be nice to get out again. Being cooped up in here was like staring at a black TV screen endlessly, day by day. Boring. Since it was her last day, she was able to sit around by herself, without Ralph, or Cadence, or one of the others flocking over her like a mentally ill child. Don't get her wrong, she loved the others. They were fun, nice, good friends, but when you get to see them almost every day, it just gets musty. And she'd be able to tell Hiro all about her amazing time in the camp. Lisa spilled her cup of water on the ground yesterday. Henry lost his bullets which he found in the jeep. Akihiro left his black wristband on his bed last week. Megs found a bottle of water in the laundry basket. Everything that they both _totally_ cared about.

She jumped to her feet when she saw someone walking toward her. It looked like it was...the person changed direction. She sat down again in her folding chair, hoping nobody saw that. No, it wasn't Hiro or Tadashi. It was just Gary. Or it was that guy who liked to sing. Well, whoever it was, it wasn't who she'd hoped it was. She started to pick grit out from beneath her nails, completely bored out of her mind. She had no idea what times it was. Maybe around 3:50-ish? Or maybe it had only been minutes since she last checked and it was 3:37. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, hunched over. She should have gotten an empty chair in the shade. She got up and decided to stretch her legs. Maybe it would do her some good to walk around, sitting in a tent for two weeks. But where to go? Or maybe just go nowhere? She stood there, giving it some thought.

Nowhere it was. She walked in the general direction of the vehicle tent. Or at least...she... _thought_ it was the way. Well, she was going nowhere, wasn't she? So she didn't have to worry.

Having to push her way past a group of laughing teenage boys, all of which seemed to be going somewhere, Vanellope made her way around the small groups of people, weaving her way through the tents, canopies, and the occasional, put-out fireplaces. She nodded when she passed an elderly woman, stitching some ripped clothes. She couldn't remember what her name was. Alison? And that's when she saw the empty chair, sitting all alone underneath a tarp the color of milky coffee. Before anyone else could claim the seat, she rushed over and sat down, crossing her legs casually. She spied a girl a couple yards away who made disappointed pout and turned around, in search of a new seat. Vanellope smirked.

She didn't know how long she sat there, but to her, it felt like centuries. She had taken up a slouch position, toying around with a pink barrette from her hair, snapping it open and closed, open and closed, watching it bend and curve. She sighed and stuck it back in her hair. A small gust of sweet breeze wafted by, blowing through Vanellope's sweaty hair and sweeping it into her face. She reached up and pulled it away, out of her mouth and eyes. When she looked up, she tried to hide a smile from creeping ridiculously long on her lips. She let out a breath and looked like she hadn't noticed, twiddling her thumbs and letting her black hair screen her eyes. She wasn't sure. But she was sort of sure. Through the black strands, she saw someone walking in her direction. She waited a moment, sweeping more hair above her eyes until all she could see was black. She could hear him walk up to her until he was standing only about a foot away. He looked down at her, and she stared at her twiddling thumbs. "What?" she asked nonchalantly.

He made no movement. "Vanellope, I haven't seen you in forever, and that's how you greet me?" Hiro said in a fake hurt voice. "Ouchywawa."

Vanellope tossed her hair out of her eyes and looked up with a grin. "I don't like speeches. So 'what' will suffice." She snickered. "Ouchywawa?" She coughed into her fist. "Sooooo what time is it?" she asked with an awkward shrug.

Hiro shook his head. "I dunno. But something tells me that we should get over to the vehicle tent. I saw our patrol head hanging around there when I came to find you." He paused and looked at her. "So how have you been?" he asked quietly, the 'during the last weeks' left unsaid.

Vanellope shrugged. "Okay. I guess. I was really bored," she admitted with a hesitant laugh. "Uh, yeah." She clasped her hands behind her back and shrugged. She didn't know what to say.

Hiro nodded. "Yeah." He tried to squeeze out 'I missed you,' but something about being a boy didn't seem to allow him. Like it was going to ruin his image or something stupid like that. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "So!" he said, clapping his hands together after another moment of awkward silence. "Shall we go?"

Vanellope smiled, knowing Hiro felt as awkward as she did. She nodded and the two set off into the camp. "What have _you_ been up to lately? Fix anything?"

Hiro shook his head. "Nah. Actually, I've been busy with helping some of the others and shooting lessons. And Fred. Yeah," he trailed off.

"I heard about that last night. Um, are you guys okay?" Vanellope asked.

Hiro shrugged. "I guess. Tadashi was really the one who saved Fred. Not me. I just did...I dunno." He looked away. "Yeah. I'm surprised GoGo didn't take me off today's patrol. I thought she'd do it for sure and I'd land another week back." He shook his head ruefully.

Vanellope merely contributed a "Mm." She'd been thinking about it, too. It wasn't like her older sister to let others go after they just did something that set her off. Especially Hiro. It didn't look like she liked Hiro _at all._ It was almost as if she was letting Hiro go slack so she could do something with him. But what was she going to do? Drag him out? He hadn't done anything wrong, so there would be no justification for it. Others might rebel and then GoGo would have a crisis on her hands. Unless she was letting Hiro go slack so he could get in trouble again. If she kept doing this and Hiro kept getting into trouble, then that might give her a reason (a really poor one at that) to drag Hiro out. She glanced up nervously. After a second of consideration, Vanellope bumped Hiro playfully, looking straight ahead as if nothing had happened. Then Hiro bumped her back in the same manner, only a little harder. Vanellope stumbled a little bit before shooting Hiro a look with a giggle. Hiro whistled casually. Vanellope gave him a small push which ended up being a little harder than intended.

"Ow!" Hiro protested, laughing. He gave her a similar push and took off with Vanellope on his heels. It felt nice to have her back. Being with her right now seemed to make him forget that he had a bigger problem to handle. Fred, Baymax and Aunt Cass, and simply being here without getting GoGo to eventually strangle his neck. It was hard, but laughing and goofing off felt good. Even relaxing. A little bit. Hiro watched as Vanellope fell in step next to him with a grin. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

Vanellope gave Hiro a bump.

( 0—0 )

Vanellope took out all the brightly colored clips from her hair one by one, and with a tug, the red hairband released itself and her black hair fell down her back. Shaking it out and tossing it with her hands, she let her hair loose from being pulled back in a ponytail all day. She shrugged on her white tank top and her shorts, hopping onto her cot with a flourish. She sprawled out across the squeaky cot, her hair falling over the edge and brushing the floor. On the other side of the room, GoGo sat with her legs crossed, reading a book. Probably something boring. Vanellope turned on her side and watched her intently.

GoGo noticed and looked up from her book. "What?"

Vanellope pursed her lips, thinking of a home-hitting question. "GoGo, dealing with our circumstances, like, right now, what do you want the most?"

GoGo stared at her for a minute before sticking her bookmark into the book and closing it with one hand, setting it on the floor underneath her bed. She crossed her arms and leaned her elbows on her crossed knees. A puzzled expression plastered itself on her face at the odd question. She clicked her tongue and pressed her lips together in a stern line, her mind racing.

Vanellope watched her think patiently, her eyes dancing to the black scar running along GoGo's cheek.

"The two that tie are one," GoGo counted of one of her fingers, "Either that the Cybugs were gone—for good, or two... we could have mom and dad back," she said, counting off the last finger.

"Since we can't have mom and dad back, what do you think we could do about the Cybugs?" she asked. She hated bringing up their parents, but she forced the words out of her mouth regretfully, the mention of them just making her mouth taste like paper.

"Why do you ask?" GoGo narrowed her eyes and peered at her skeptically.

Vanellope sighed, trying to make her next sentence sound convincing. "Because I'm tired of Cybugs, and I'm tired of them being here. Before they came, we were happy and normal. Not gunslingers every day, going out into the ruins to brave the danger and risk of Cybugs and death. We just lived like normal people. I just..." Vanellope threw up her hands. "I dunno. I just want something to make me feel a little better. That's all."

GoGo's eyes softened. "Okay," she said. "Give me a sec." Vanellope tried to hide the eager expression on her face. GoGo nodded. "I think that some things that would help would be to stay here and fight them. Kill the Cybugs and their eggs off. They won't last forever," she said. "And... I think that if we had an elite team of a few, but enough just to defend ourselves against the Cybugs and other gangs, then I think that would really help a lot."

"Do you think we have the right numbers right now?"

GoGo pursed her lips, her stern eyes watching Vanellope. "No telling," she said seriously and shook her head. "No. I think we have too many. We're carrying a lot of extra weight that we don't need." She wanted to say 'like Fred,' but that would tip Vanellope off. She stopped herself from going further.

But Vanellope was undaunted. "And if you wanted to cut the numbers, then you'd drag people out. Right?" She pried too far.

GoGo jerked her head up to stare at her. "Just shut up, will you, Vanellope? For once?" she snapped.

Vanellope knew her sister could be cold and mean, but snapping still caught her off guard. She kept very still, afraid that one move would anger GoGo further.

Her older sister seemed to sense her tension. She turned back to her. "Sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to snap like that." She gave a little sigh. "Your questions tipped me off." She stood up and came over to Vanellope, sitting down next to her. "I just didn't like the way you were suggesting dragging out." She hugged her elbows, looking away. "I don't like doing it. I really don't. But sometimes, it's for the best. The way they plead for mercy and start...I dunno...practically crying, I think the only way I can do it is to continually tell myself that what I'm doing is for the good of the rest of us," she said.

And for a moment, Vanellope believed her. She didn't know what to say, watching her sister staring at the floor distantly. Vanellope sat up and opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. She'd just been about to ask 'if you wanted to customize your elite team, who would you pick?' almost knowing that Hiro probably wouldn't be on it. Instead, she asked "If someone offered a solution that could change everything right now, would you take it?" she asked, waiting for a reply.

GoGo sighed and looked down at Vanellope with a sad grin. She wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders and gave her a little nudge. "I really don't know." She gave a little chuckle. "I probably would," she admitted before giving Vanellope a gentle squeeze. She stood up, getting back into her own cot and kicking off the covers with a grunt. Vanellope did the same. "Good night," GoGo said softly.

She turned to her other side, away from Vanellope, thoughts racing.

 _If someone did…would I?_


	11. Chapter X: Drive

"Hey! Hey Hiro! You got a minute? Maybe an hour? Or three?"

"I guess," Hiro called. "Whatcha need?" he asked and wiped his black, oily hands on a nearby rag that was already black.

"Nothing." Vanellope smiled. "But there's something I _would like_."

"Shoot." Hiro stood up and set aside a hand-crank radio he'd been fixing.

Vanellope grinned, sticking out her two front teeth. "Wanna go for a drive?"

Hiro paused. "A drive." He raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"Uh huh."

"You…can drive a car?" he continued.

"I _own_ a car, Hiro, _gadoy_ ," she said sarcastically.

Hiro still wasn't convinced. "Can you…not…crash the car?"

"Uh, yeah. Otherwise, I wouldn't be asking you out for a drive." She held out a hand. "There's someplace I wanna show you."

"Have I been there before?"

"Nope."

"Are you allowed out alone?"

"Yep."

Hiro looked at her skeptically. "…Alright then." He shrugged and grabbed his revolver, slinging it into his holster. "I don't see any harm."

"Sweet Mother of Monkey Milk! Sw _eet_!" Vanellope grabbed his wrist and pulled him away. "I have this _gorgeous_ convertible. It's a pale pink, like the color of pink smarties, and Ralph helped me find it. It's a total beaut. The roof is stuck down, but that's okay. I just don't drive it in the rain. And the radio doesn't work, which is a bummer, but I live. Gosh, just wait until you see it!" she babbled on excitedly as they reached the vehicle tent. With a jerk, she left Hiro to find his balance as she skipped up to a car. "TA _DAAA_! I call her the Lickety Split!" she held out her hands, gesturing to a car.

Hiro gulped in dismay.

The pink was obviously faded from many year's exposure to the sun, and the paint was even peeling in some areas. Two rearview mirrors hung by a thread to their stands, not even positioned right. Inside, the seats were covered in ripping leather that smelled of a wet dog and chemicals, while the stuffing slowly erupted out of rips. The floor was littered with gravel and other grit. All that remained of the dashboard was an array of shattered, smashed, and broken buttons. There weren't any windshield wipers, so the front window still had traces of where a soapy sponge had been dragged across. The headlights were smashed, and the bumper and fender were history. There was no license plate.

The car was a health hazard.

Vanellope leaned against the hood, spat on the back of her hand, rubbed it onto the rearview mirrors, and a squeaking commenced while dust was wiped off the glass. "Isn't she a beaut?" she asked zealously.

"Uh…yeah. Yeah, she's…uh, she's, uh, something," he offered nervously.

"Alright, get ready for the ride of your _life._ "

"I…don't doubt it."

"Get in, get in! Sit up front!" Vanellope pushed him into the passenger seat and hopped behind the wheel. Hiro held his breath, waiting for the car to fall apart as soon as the engine was started. Next to him, Vanellope pulled her ponytail out and tossed her black tresses behind her. "I like to let my hair down when I drive this gal," she said passionately.

Hiro reached for the seat belt, and discovered there were none. "Uh, Vanellope? There's no—"

"Alright, saddle up and sit tight, here we go!" she called and stuck her key into the ignition. An ancient engine rumbled and groaned in the heart of the beast, which slowly revved to life. With no warning, she slammed her foot on the pedal, and the car shot off into the dusty plain.

Expecting a crash at any minute, Hiro seized the edges of his fraying seat with fists and the grip of death while his brown eyes went wide in fear. Wind buffeted him in the face, and his hair went flying behind him. Vanellope whooped in glee and picked up the pace. Minutes passed, and there was no crash. Hiro's grip eased, and eventually, he threw his leather jacket into the backseat and settled himself.

"So what do you think?" Vanellope asked.

"Cool," Hiro nodded. "How did you learn to drive a car?"

"GoGo, actually. With her free time, she taught me. I was so scared I would crash the car, she finally said to me _'Vanellope, shut up and drive.'_ And, well, it worked for me."

"Huh. Sweet you got your license at this age." Hiro waggled his eyebrows.

Vanellope turned and looked at him, but there was no laughter in her eyes. "Out here, it doesn't matter." She looked back to the road and sighed, resuming the relaxing aura. "I love driving. When I grow up, and if San Fransokyo ever gets fixed up again, I wanna become a world-famous race car driver. And when I do, you all will be privileged to know me. I'll let you into my races for free. No charge." She laughed. "Ah, that'll be the day." She looked over at Hiro. "What's your favorite candy?" she asked.

"Gummy bears. Why?" Hiro furrowed his brow.

Vanellope looked smugly away and said nothing. "Oh hey! Here we are." Vanellope slowed the car to a stop in front of the ruins. "I guess from this point on, talking will have to be kept brief." She shrugged and drove on.

As they entered the ruins, they quickly found a parking place in an alley between two houses. Then commenced on a long trek to wherever Vanellope had in mind for him. The shadows cast from the skyscrapers fell over them, shielding them from the sun and concealing them in cool darkness. Nothing was spoken between them, and the only sound they made was the rustling of rubble and trash and the small grunts they made when they gave each other a hand over a pile of wreckage.

Finally, Vanellope whirled around. "Close your eyes," she whispered.

"Why?"

"Just do it. I want this to be a surprise."

Hiro made no move. "Vanellope, it's just a—"

" _Please_?" Vanellope pleaded. "I'll lead you."

Grudgingly, Hiro sighed and closed his eyes. With a grin, Vanellope took his hand and led him through the empty and deserted streets. She heard soft shuffling, and looked to see a woman digging through an overturned dumpster. When she heard them, she snapped her head up and glared at them as if they were a threat. The woman slung a backpack over her shoulder and scooped up a bundle, which she realized was a child. The little boy looked at her with wide, frightened, blue eyes. Without a word, the woman glared at the two once more before silently running around the corner of the street.

Vanellope watched the woman go, and instantly, her heart felt soft. That child probably had no idea what was going on to his home. It was a shame that he had to grow up under these circumstances.

"Vanellope?" Hiro asked quietly.

She jerked back to Hiro. "Yeah," she said quickly. "Yeah. I'm fine."

As she led Hiro on, she held his shoulders, motioning for him to stop. "Okay. Stop. Stand…a…liiiiitle to the right. There! Good! Perfect!" she said quickly. "Now open your eyes."

Hiro opened them, squinted after they had been closed for so long. He blinked and stared up at a huge, immense building. A large, brass dome covered the top, and tall stairs led to the front entrance.

"Ta da!" Vanellope held out her arms and giggled quietly. "It's the candy factory!" she explained. Sure enough, a giant sign above the door read _Wonder Confections._ "Now come on! I want to show you inside!" Vanellope once again grabbed the hand of the dumbfounded Hiro and pulled him up the stairs and past the doors. "Welcome to my little hiding spot."

( 0—0 )

Empty vats, large machines, and abandoned racks with multiple layers for baking trays of candy. Sunlight fought through the grimy, dust covered, glass windows that stretched from one wall to the other. Nevertheless, the light gently kissed the tiled floor of the candy factory.

Hiro let out a breath. "This is huge," he murmured softly. "It's even bigger than the lobby was."

Vanellope looked over at him and smiled. "I know, right? If you actually go through the entire factory, there are these huge rooms, each devoted to making one kind of candy. Isn't that crazy?"

Hiro stared around the room, tinted a hazy, fiery gold from the afternoon sun. They stood on a short, railed platform that projected over the room. Stairs led down to the work area below, while to the sides, stairs led up to overpasses that circled around the entire room, ending at an identical platform on the other side of the immense room. "Man. I wish I had a camera."

Vanellope giggled. "Well come on! We don't have all day!" She grabbed Hiro's hand and ran, leading up the stairs and onto the overpass. Below them, the vats and other machinery passed by in a blur.

What seemed like hours passed as the two toured the factory. And though Vanellope hadn't shown him all of it, Hiro still felt as if the factory couldn't be any bigger. Almost reluctant, Hiro acknowledged they were nearing the end of the tour.

"And last but not least…" Vanellope pressed her back against a pair of swinging doors. "Here's the grand finale." With a flourish, she pressed the doors open, slamming them against the wall. "The docking bay. But!" She held up a finger. "Most important."

"No way." Hiro's eyes went wide.

"Loads, and loads, and _loads_ of GUMMY BEARS!" she squealed. Boxes of various candy were lined and stacked against the walls. Vanellope danced over to a pile and kicked it over, packets of gummy bears spilling all over the floor. To Hiro, it was dessert for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert itself. Almost as if the packets were a shining pool of gold.

"And what's even better?" Vanellope called and tossed a packet to Hiro, who caught it quickly. She smirked. "They're all free."

( 0—0 )

Licking his sticky fingers, Hiro opened his 13th packet of gummy bears, popping them into his mouth. He savored the taste, over date as they were. " _Mmmm_. Mm! So good," he said with his mouth full. The two sat on the edge of a docking port, their legs dangling over the edge, a sandy view for them to watch.

"Mm hmm," Vanellope agreed, also gorging on the candy. She threw the empty packet behind her shoulder and ripped open another one. An awkward silence filled the air, as neither knew what to say. She looked over at Hiro. "So what do you wanna be when you grow up?" she asked. "I've already shared what I wanna be. Your turn."

Hiro shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, up to when I was eight, I wanted more than anything to be a super hero, I mean, I was _passionate_ about this thing," he laughed. "I would ramble on about it 24/7, and I would drive Dashi _nuts._ " He chuckled at the thought. "But after that, I starting setting more realistic goals. I wanted to work with the government and hack and stuff, next. Then, I had this stupid thing about being a champion bot fighter." He waved his hand, dismissing the idea before popping another gummy bear into his mouth. "But I finally settled on being an inventor."

"Like Tadashi?"

"Well…" Hiro started and swallowed. "No, not really. He wants to be more of a doctor than an inventor, but we both like robotics and that stuff. He was inspired to help people in need, and to save lives."

"That's admirable," Vanellope nodded.

"At first, I wanted to be exactly like my brother, but realized that's impossible, because Tadashi finds great value in individuality, and what makes a person unique. There is _nothing_ unique about copying your older brother. That's when I decided that I would follow in his footsteps, and that I would choose my own dreams. So that's what I did. Of course, I was heavily influenced by TV shows I liked to watch. I mean, Voltron: Legendary Defender? Come one. Pidge is the best. Nerdy, loves computers and tech, she's so cool."

"Oh! That show! I used to watch that, too!" Vanellope exclaimed. "My favorite, I couldn't decide between Lance, Keith, or Allura. But my favorite show was Miraculous Ladybug. That was just killer."

"Ew, that?" Hiro gave her a look. "The one with the girl in spots and the guy with cat ears? That looks stupid."

"NO! NO, Hiro! It's—okay, it's kind of stupid—but when you get into it, it's so funny. You're just like _okay, when are Adrien and Marinette going to kiss and confess to each other?_ And then it drives you nuts."

"Yeeeeaaaaah," Hiro said slowly. "Right."

"But an inventor. Pretty cool," Vanellope nodded again. "I can see it now. _Professor H. Hamada._ Or is it doctor? Or…I dunno."

"Yeah. It's got a nice ring to it," Hiro admitted. He sighed. "Well, if it ever happens, it'll have a nice ring."

She turned back to look at him. "Hey." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Hiro. It'll happen. I can feel it in my gut."

"Guts aren't a hundred percent reliable." He gave her a doubtful look.

"You calling my gut a liar?" she laughed. "But seriously. You look on the downside. Loosen up! We _will_ get rid of these things so you can be an inventor." She smiled. "If anything, it'll give a motivation to get rid of these things."

Hiro looked up at her and a small smile creeped across his lips. "Okay."

The girl bit her lip and looked away. "Can I pry?"

"Um…ooo...kay?" Hiro said unsurely.

"You always refer to your family as your brother and you aunt. What…w-what happened to you parents?" she asked softly.

A lump rose in Hiro's throat. He hung his head, looking at his shoes. "They died when I was three," he said simply. "Car accident. They were taking me shopping." He sighed. "Some idiot in a truck veered off the road. We ran right into him. I was the only one that survived."

There was a silence between the two. "I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." Vanellope looked down at her own shoes.

"Of course, I don't remember any of it." Hiro continued, still trying to treat the subject casually. "I was told by my aunt when I was released from the hospital. Then, she and Tadashi were the only ones I had left."

"That's awful." Vanellope chewed her lip. "That would explain you. Why you want to find your aunt so much. You…you're afraid of losing the only shred of family you have left."

Hiro nodded.

"I understand."

Hiro took in a breath. "What about you? Just you and GoGo?"

She sighed and shrugged. "Yeah. My dad died in a bus accident and my mom of cancer." She stuck out her bottom lip. "Grandparents live in Korea, along with my only aunt and uncle. So we were stuck here. Arrangements were actually made for me and GoGo to take a plane to Korea. Then the Cybugs came and…well, the flight was canceled," she chuckled. "Her name's Ethel," she said softly.

Hiro perked. "What?"

"Her name's Ethel, actually. Not GoGo. She renamed herself after our parents died. I followed her example. Guess what I got stuck with?"

"Penelope," Hiro smiled.

"I hated it. My dad, who was American, insisted on naming me after his great grandmother. I didn't fancy it much, though."

Vanellope perked as a gentle breeze wafted by them. "It's…it's getting late. We should get back," she sighed and stood up, thankful for a distraction. She gave Hiro a hand.

"Yeah, I guess." Hiro dusted himself off. "Hey, um," he started.

Vanellope turned to look at him. "Yeah?"

Hiro took a breath. "Thanks for driving me out. It was fun."

She smiled up at him and punched his shoulder. "Hey, no problem. You'd better pay me back, though. Just kidding." She winked and reached into her hoodie pocket. After a pause, she reached into her Capri pocket, and then the other.

"I feel like I should be getting worried," Hiro observed.

"You should be," Vanellope grunted and delved into her back pockets. "No. No, no, _no_ ," she muttered and checked her pockets again thoroughly. " _Nope._ "

"Oh gosh. Don't tell me…" Hiro groaned and rubbed his temples. "The keys are gone."

"The keys are gone," she squeaked, frustrated. "The keys are gone, oh gosh. Gone. They're _gone_. But I swear I took them out of the car I stuck them into my pocket. I swear. Maybe they fell out. I bet they fell out. Oh gosh."

"Hey, calm down." Hiro flexed his arms. "We know where we went. I can trace ours steps back to the car, and you can check here. If you find them, meet me at the car. If I find them, I'll come back to you."

"If neither of us finds them?"

"Then…" Hiro pursed his lips. "Don't move, and I'll come back to the factory and tell you I didn't find them."

"Sounds good."

"Alright then." Hiro patted Vanellope's shoulder before turning around and pushing through the doors.

And then Vanellope was alone. "God, help me find them," she prayed frantically. "I don't want to be stuck out here with Cybugs.

( 0—0 )

He'd been through the entire factory, every room, every inch of where they'd traveled. No keys.

Running his fingers through his sweaty hair, Hiro let out an exasperated puff. They weren't here, but maybe he still had to keep looking. Back to the car it was. Running down the flight of stairs out front, he jumped the last two steps and landed in a crouch on the pavement with a grunt. He stood up and dusted himself off.

No sooner had he clapped his hand together, a small hiss emerged from behind the rubble. He gasped and whirled around.

A Cybug clambered over a pile of rubble and screeched at him. The boy was frozen still, rooted to the ground. His trembling hand only made the slightest movement to the revolver at his hip.

The face. A calico cat, like any other, but the face was unforgettable to him.

Mochi.

Their cat.

 _His_ cat.

The cat he had gotten for his fourth birthday.

The cat he'd named Mochi, after his aunt's ice cream.

The Cybug rushed at him. Hiro was knocked to the ground, slammed to the pavement. Sharp legs dug at his flesh as the bug crawled on top of him, the cat screeching mercilessly into his face. The long, metal fangs seeped with glistening drops of green acid that dripped onto his cheek. A sharp stinging ate away at his skin, delving and burning deeper. His raw muscle sputtered and spat in contact with the acid. It burned like fire and stung like a hornet. With a cry of pain, Hiro tried to wipe away the acid, but his arms were pinned to the ground.

The Cybug made a swoop in for a bit to his neck, but instinct alone saved him. He reached up and grabbed the two front mandibles that pinched and were covered in acid. His hands were on fire. He screamed in pain, but forced the mandibles apart, where triple rows of teeth greeted him.

His hands stung and burned from acid. His bare arms were cut. His head hurt. He was dizzy. Confused. Scared. Angry. His revolver lay on the pavement, too far for him to reach. He couldn't risk letting go of a mandible anyway.

There was no way he could survive this alone.

With a raspy gasp, he sucked air into his throat, collecting it until it felt like his lungs were about to burst. He gave one last burst of strength to force out a scream that pierced his own ears. It was deafening. At this point, he didn't care who came. Someone. Anyone. Friend. Enemy. He didn't care.

He cried out one word.

Help.


	12. Chapter XI: Blow Up

Moving aside a pile of watermelon Jolly Ranchers, Vanellope finally uncovered a glint of light against metal. With a loud groan, she picked them. "You stinking keys!" she spat. Twirling them around her finger, she watched them flash in the setting sun. Then her eyes surveyed the candy, along with the dozen exploded Cybug babies. One of them still lay twitching on the floor, green ooze spilling out of its body and dissolving a candy wrapper.

Where had those Cybug eggs come from? Wherever they had, the factory was no longer the safe haven it used to be. Vanellope slung her revolver into its holster at her hip.

Walking over the docking port door and hopping out, she let out a squeak as her foot slipped. She fell on her rear. Groaning, she rubbed her tail bone as she stood up slowly and dusted off her hands with a grimace. Wow. That hurt. She bent over and bent back, bent over and bent back a few times, until the pain subsided. Well, she had the keys, so there was no use letting Hiro go all the way back. He was probably at the car, waiting for her already.

After tying her hair back into its ponytail and setting out, Vanellope made her way around the factory. She walked around an abandoned recycle bin, kicking at a bunch of old, faded newspapers. If there were eggs in the factory, they could be anywhere. But now, she just wanted to find Hiro. Glancing around nervously, she bit her lip. She'd come here countless times, but now, it just seemed foreboding. She paused when she heard dust billowing behind her. She moved on.

But was it really a good idea to be out here in the first place, anymore? Both people and Cybugs were getting more and more desperate. If someone had to live on Twizzlers, she was sure they would do it. Maybe she shouldn't come here anymore. Just to be safe. Then again, nothing was safe out here. Nothing was safe anywhere, just because of big metal insects that eat people. Their world seemed exactly like something out of a futuristic movie, like the PG-13 type. She couldn't help but shudder. This time, it was real. It wasn't a computer-generated backdrop, it wasn't acting, there wasn't a camera filming her every move, and no director shouting commands. All of it was real.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air, followed by a metallic shriek.

And Cybugs weren't computer generated either.

Sprinting, Vanellope grabbed the revolver jostling at her hip and cocked it as she ran. There were more screams and hisses. She ran as fast as she could. Her foot hit something hard, and the pain was almost intolerable, but she made it work, even if her foot was on fire. A scream for help echoed. She could only run so fast.

Rounding the last corner, she jumped out with her revolver raised, but couldn't help but stare at the sight. Hiro's cheeks and hands burned, a Cybug with a cat's face towered directly above him, it's mouth inches away from his screaming face. There was a mix of terror, hate, horror, and determination in his fierce eyes. He strained with the effort of keeping the Cybugs mouth closed with his bare hands, but it looked like he was going to give at any second.

Without a second of hesitation, she raised her revolver once more and fired directly at the bugs eyes. It delved into the left one, raining a little shower of glass on Hiro's face.

Oops.

It screeched and writhed, its legs dancing around madly. Hiro took the opportunity to push the thing off him with a loud yell. He scrambled around madly for something to wield as a weapon, his revolver having slid out of its holster. His hand suddenly reached for something. Anything. It came to rest on a sharp, jagged piece of metal with a wickedly sharp tip. He grabbed it and whacked the Cybug into the Cybug's face, making it spin at him. Vanellope lifted her gun and quickly lowered it, afraid she might hit Hiro.

Who, at this moment, was trying to knock the Cybug to the ground. He kicked it at the pointy, slender legs, and it toppled over, legs waving in the air grotesquely. Hiro lunged on top of it and violently dug the metal pole into the other Cybug's eye. The cat gave an earsplitting scream and its metal fangs glistened. Vanellope gave a shriek and plugged her ears. Hiro covered his as well and looked away, biting his lip. The Cybugs legs were slowly curling in. His eyes felt hot and he picked up the pole once more. With one last yell, Hiro thrust it into the very middle of the underbelly plates, where it pushed past the weak metal and dug itself into the wires and mechanics of the Cybug. Its scream was suddenly cut short as it went limp. The glowing green lights behind the shattered glass of where the eyes used to be slowly blinked off. The legs stopped moving, inches away from Hiro's bare arms. He pushed the legs away and slumped to his knees on top of the Cybug, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling.

Vanellope slowly opened her clenched eyes and pulled her fingers out of her ears. She let out a breath and she and Hiro just stared at each other.

His hair was sweaty and plastered to his face and he had burns from the spray of acid. He dropped the pole, which clattered to the ground with a dull clang. "Let's get out of here," he said.

"I've never heard something more beautiful in my life." Vanellope shoved her gun into its holster and Hiro climbed down from the bug to join her, scooping up his revolver along the way. They made a mad dash for the car.

"I assume you found the keys," Hiro said as they jogged.

"It was in all that candy on the floor. I got my fingers covered with acid digging through there. And surprise, surprise, what I found? Cybugs eggs. I'm not sure how long they've been here."

"Which means there might be more," Hiro said grimly as they came up to the car. The two teens quickly slid into the wreck car and slammed the doors closed. Hiro slumped against the back of the seat and wiped his brow. "Come on. Let's go," he muttered quickly.

A sudden screech in the air didn't need to prompt Vanellope anymore. Her fingers dug around in her pockets, pulling out the loop of keys and stuck the key into the ignition. The car came on and gave a low rumble. Vanellope gripped the wheel, just as a group of four Cybugs came tearing down the horizon. "Time to go," Vanellope said in a faint voice as she slammed her foot against the pedal. The tires gave a squeal in protest as she burned rubber. The car raced surprisingly fast. Feeling the hot air whip past them, reminding them of how dry their throats were, Hiro knelt in his seat and peered behind him. It was hard to see with the clouds of dust and his hair whipping his face. He brushed it away enough to see there was a group of Cybugs on their tales.

"HOW MANY!?" Vanellope yelled over the roar of the wind.

"Four!" Hiro answered and sat down again. "Can you please go faster? Like A LOT FASTER?!" Hiro begged.

Vanellope just growled and clenched the wheel.

Hiro ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. It seemed so long now. He could just feel it tickle the nape of his neck. "Do you have a hairband?" he asked.

"Hiro, there are Cybugs chasing this car, and you want a hairband!?"

"Vanellope, can I have a hairband, please?" Hiro asked again.

Vanellope gave a disgusted groan and stuck her wrist out, driving with the other hand. Today, her arm was decorated with an array of multicolored hairbands. Hiro selected a navy blue one and slid it onto his own wrist. He did the best he could to tie his hair into a pony tail with all of it blowing in his face. Brushing his fingers through the little ponytail in the back of his head, he let out a breath. "How fast can this car go?" he asked.

Vanellope briskly looked over at him. "Fast enough to get us back," she said tartly. "But probably not fast enough to lose those things."

"You mean..." Hiro trailed off.

Vanellope made no reply. "Let's just hope we have a welcoming party when we arrive. From the looks of things, I don't want to get home alone. Maybe we could com somebody," she suggested, giving a sudden yank on the wheel. The car jerked to the left, toward the gang camp.

Hiro looked down at her doubtfully. "Would a com work at this range?"

"I think so? Yeah. Whatever! I don't know! Just try it!" Vanellope yelled at him. "No don't. Oh shoot. I didn't bring one. Forget that."

Hiro groaned. "How about we just drive around and try to lose them before we go back, so we don't lead them into the camp?"

"And risk burning up all our gas and getting stuck out here? No thanks," Vanellope replied and gave a little shriek as the car bounced over a rock. "Oh shoot. I should never have taken you out here. Especially alone," she apologized quickly. "Tadashi will probably kill me. You know? Or GoGo? No, GoGo wouldn't kill me. Yeah she would. Oh my gosh, They're _gonna_ KILL _ME_!" Vanellope yelled out into the open.

"Vanellope! Quiet! Do you want more attention?"

"I'M FREAKING OUT HERE!" Vanellope let out a nervous breath. "Okay, I screamed that out. I'm good now. Where do we go?" she asked. "Tick tock tick tock, time's a wasting!" she urged.

Hiro shook his head. "No. No, just go straight back. Don't worry about them now. Just go back," he said. Vanellope revved the car and it sped across the ground, kicking up dust in its wake. Hiro clutched the door with white knuckles. If he were on a normal road right now with cars and stoplights, he probably would've started screaming like a baby. But with an empty stretch of land before them, he didn't care how much dust flew into his eyes. The gang camp finally came into view, rising on the horizon. The sight made Vanellope pick up the pace. Her foot was pressed against the pedal with full force. The camp grew at an alarming rate. "Vanellope?" Hiro asked slowly. "Slow down?" he suggested hopefully.

"What?" she asked. "I…I'm trying!" She took her foot off the pedal, but the car still kept going. At 70 mph.

"Vanellope?" Hiro asked again, alarmed. "Vanellope, stop the car!"

"I can't!"

" _What do you mean, you can't_?"

"I mean I CAN'T! It's stuck!"

"No wait! Stop! STOP!"

"STOP! STOP THE CAR! IT'S STUCK!"

"No, no, no! STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOOOOOP!"

" _AAAAAAAAAAAUGH_!"

The pale pink convertible suddenly flew into a tent, completely crushing it to the ground with a sickening crack and the hungry sputter of a dying engine. The squealing of tires filled the air as the people around them dove for cover at the sight of the rampage car. Hiro and Vanellope both went flying all over the dash board, the airbags ejecting just too late. When the car went still with a rusty sputter and the smoke had fairly subsided, the two ever so slowly sunk into their seats, afraid that if they moved, the car would once again spring to life, launching them into another chaotic ride. But the car did nothing and everything was still. The sight of broken tent poles and ripped fabric shrouded the front window. Vanellope let out a wheezy cough as the stench of car oil filled the air.

"Vanellope." Hiro turned his head slowly to her.

"Mm?" she did the same until they were staring each other in the eye.

Hiro opened his mouth to speak. "I don't like your car."

Vanellope shook her head as well. "I don't either," she agreed as they slowly opened their doors and shakily step foot on the still ground. Surprisingly, they could still walk. Vanellope looked behind them. But there were no Cybugs. Nothing. Her brow furrowed. "I think the Cybugs gave up chase a…a while ago, I think," she coughed.

"Oh." Hiro looked back into the empty cloud of dust behind the car. "So we were driving like maniacs for nothing."

"Well, maybe you would have had us drive like respectable citizens, and maybe you would've like us to stay the speed limit? I'm sorry that I got us out of there alive, Hiro."

"It's not that," Hiro spat back. "It's just this." He waved a hand at the wreck. "This is going to be a bit of a mess, don't you think? And guess who's fault it is because we were driving from imaginary Cybugs?"

"Oh. So you're saying this is my fault?" Vanellope said, aghast. "And they _weren't_ imaginary. You're going to blame this whole thing on me? Thanks Hiro! You _never_ told me to drive faster, like, a lot faster, didn't you? Yeah, you just wanted a hairband." She planted her fists on her hips.

"I just saying, if we—"

"Vanellope!" Ralph came thundering over.

Hiro groaned inwardly.

"Ralph!" Vanellope ran over to him and jumped into his arms.

"Vanellope, I—...you're covered in soot," he observed.

"Oh. What?" Vanellope looked down at herself. It was true, she had scratched arms and a soot smeared face. She chuckled dryly. "Yeah. That was over there." She jerked a thumb at the cars direction. It wasn't even a car anymore. It was just a smoking mess.

"What happened?" Ralph asked. "It looks like you got in an accident!"

"We did," Hiro muttered icily.

"Or, rather, _I_ did, right?" Vanellope turned around to glare at him.

"Yeah, maybe you did," Hiro replied.

"Hey guys. Guys! Knock it off!" Ralph said, waving his big hands between the two. "It's _no one's_ fault that the car got wrecked. Look, there are _loads_ out there that you can use! Right? So come on. We should get you two to Felix," Ralph said, hoisting Vanellope onto his back. Hiro reluctantly followed.

Ralph did make him feel pretty stupid now. He was yelling at Vanellope for wrecking her car. And if she hadn't, they probably would've died out there, so what was there to argue about? But he wasn't going to admit it. He glanced guiltily up at Vanellope, who was looked away darkly. Purposefully avoiding his gaze.

"Hiro! Ralph! Vanellope! Are all of you guys okay?" Honey Lemon exclaimed when the threesome entered Felix's tent.

Ralph helped Vanellope down. "These two got in an accident," he said casually. "No need to go into details." He gave Vanellope a little pat. "But Hiro got in a scuffle, so make sure you look him over, alright?" he said.

"Okay. Sure. Thank you, Ralph."

"Hey. No problem." Ralph turned, walking out.

"Okay. Vanellope, let's let you over here," Honey said and set Vanellope down in a chair and Hiro in the one across from it. "Felix should be here somewhere. I'm going to go find him," she said and headed out.

Hiro looked at Vanellope, who glared back at him. "So you still think it's all my fault?" she accused.

Hiro decided not to answer, but to just look down. "It's just that, maybe we should've looked back. We could've avoided this whole incident," Hiro said simply. Vanellope just crossed her arms and turned around in her chair, crossing her arms over the back of the chair. "Okay, fine!" Hiro rebutted and did the same.

Felix and Honey Lemon returned to find the two back to back, refusing to look at each other. Felix bit his lips and glanced up at Honey, who struggled for words. "Uh...Hiro, Vanellope...is...there a problem?" she asked.

Hiro shook his head. Vanellope said nothing.

Honey Lemon decided not to ask. She just looked down at the two. Well, maybe she should ask anyway. "Did something happen out there? Just...tell me the whole story."

"Maybe Hiro should do that," Vanellope muttered.

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa." Wasabi walked inside, followed by Diana and Jordan and Tadashi. "Vanellope, Hiro, you two look like you're gonna explode if you two are within a foot of each other," Wasabi remarked.

"Maybe I will," Vanellope muttered darkly.

"I just might, too," Hiro grumbled.

"Hiro, what is going on?" Tadashi asked and looked down at him. "What happened out there? Are you oka—" He stopped when he saw the burns on Hiro's face and arms. "Hiro, what happened?" he asked again.

"The burns aren't bad, but to me, it looks like acid," Diana observed.

Hiro replied stiffly, "Cybugs."

"Cybugs! Hiro, what were you doing?!" Tadashi asked, looking him over. He grabbed Hiro's hands, looking at the burns and cuts. "It looks like you were taking one down with your own hands, almost."

"He was."

"I did."

Hiro and Vanellope both said at the same time. They glanced at each other darkly before quickly turning away.

Felix and Wasabi and Diana and Jordan all at once protested about how this was going too far and how they couldn't say anything if they didn't know what happened and that someone had some explaining to do and what the heck was going on? Tadashi and Honey Lemon tried to calm the hubbub. "Guys! Pipe down!" Tadashi yelled.

"Look, you're just holding a grudge!" Hiro yelled. "If you just _let this go, none of this would've happened_!"

"So it's MY FAULT!?" Vanellope screamed. "OKAY, SO ARE WE PLAYING MR. BLAME it ALL, NOW?! YOU'RE GONNA BLAME ME FOR EVERYTHING NOW!? _GIVE ME A TURN, HUH?!_ "

"NO!"

"I BLAME YOU FOR... _I'M GONNA BLAME YOU FOR CRASHING_ MY CAR!" Vanellope bellowed at the top her lungs, adding an increase of volume to the overlapping chatter from the others.

"I DID NOT WRECK YOUR CAR! YOU DID!" Hiro stood up from his chair and pointed an accusing finger at Vanellope.

"HIRO! JUST SIT DOWN!" Tadashi yelled.

"Tadashi, don't yell! Please!" Honey protested.

"HIRO! JUST TELL US WHAT HAPPENED!" Jordan shouted to Hiro, who wasn't paying any attention. "You aren't saying anything!"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED!" Vanellope screamed.

"Vanellope, _calm down_!" Wasabi protested.

"Can _everybody CALM DOWN!_ " Felix wailed.

"Stop yelling!" Diana said.

" _NO_!" Vanellope yelled. "I'm so SICK of you BLAMING ME ALL THE TIME!" she hit away Hiro's hand. "So you should just—!"

"EVERYONE JUST _SHUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUP_!" The sudden command made everyone fall silent, even the ever-screaming Vanellope. They all turned to see Jordan, red in the face, and seemingly full of steam. He breathed in deeply, and let it out. "Just...shut up. You all. Need. To shut. Up," he said. He pointed a finger at Vanellope and Hiro. "Especially you two. Shut up. Both of you." He sighed and gave an exasperated wave of his hands. "So what is going on? Neither of you have said a world, except 'Cybugs' during your wonderful three-year-old temper tantrum. So why don't we all find a seat, sit down, and let these two talk." Jordan promptly sat down on the table and crossed his arms. He raised his eyebrows when no one moved. "I'm waiting," he said.

Wasabi, Felix, and Diana all grabbed a seat and Tadashi and Honey Lemon calmed down. Vanellope and Hiro sat back in their chairs. Honey Lemon let out a quiet breath and fetched some band aids and water.

Vanellope and Hiro looked at each other. "You go," Hiro said.

Vanellope made a face. "Fine," she said curtly. "So me and Hiro had free time, so I took him to the candy factory." She related all the details to them, nonstop, ending with where Hiro had just blamed her from the wreck of her car. "So that's it. That's the story."

"Well," Wasabi started, "No offense, but I'm kinda glad that car's gone now."

"Did you even get GoGo's permission to go out there?" Diana asked.

"Oh, she lets me go out there all the time!" Vanellope gave a lazy wave of her hand. "I don't really ask her about it nowadays, but I don't really care."

Diana let out a rueful sigh and rubbed her temples. "Vanellope..."

"What I don't get is why the Cybugs stopped chasing you," Jordan said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Then he shrugged. "Hm. It just occurred to me. That's all."

Tadashi gently reached out and touched Hiro's burned arm. His younger brother flinched in pain. "How bad was it?" Tadashi asked. Hiro gave him a questioning look. "I mean, how was it? The Cybug," Tadashi clarified.

Hiro shrugged. "I dunno. I didn't really think I could take it down with my bare hands, but..." Hiro trailed off. "I dunno," he said again. "But…Tadashi, the cat was Mochi."

"You mean…" Tadashi started, "…our cat?"

Hiro nodded slowly, trying to keep his breathing even. Still, he could feel his eyes getting a little shiny. "Yeah."

Tadashi placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know you loved him."

Hiro shrugged and looked away.

Vanellope looked at him, and her eyes softened. Blinking, she suddenly felt like a baby. Throwing a tantrum. She was acting three, wasn't she? And the car wasn't even a big deal. It was horrible anyway. "Wait. Hiro, you know what? It was my fault," she said. "I mean, it wasn't your fault my car crashed. It was actually my fault. I wasn't looking, and I didn't steer out of the way. The damaged tent is also my fault. I…sorry, I think I was getting carried away," she said quickly, but she still had an apologetic tone in her voice. It did sound genuine.

"Where did that come from?" Hiro scoffed. "I mean, literally one second ago, you were yelling and screaming at me about your car being wrecked, and now your apologizing. I mean...what brought on this sudden confession?"

Vanellope sighed regretfully. "It wasn't your fault, and I think everyone can see that. I was just quick to blame someone for wrecking my car." It seemed to be good enough for the others, but not good enough for Hiro. "I need to go," she said, getting up.

"Where are you going? I'm not done with you yet," Honey Lemon protested.

"Uh," Vanellope said, backing away, "I _really_ have to go. I'll try to get back to you later." and with that, she was out of the tent and running off.

( 0—0 )

She had tossed aside most of the tent's poles and ripped fabric out of the way, but… "Oh man." Vanellope groaned and rubbed her neck. Time for a new car. Thankfully, everything out in the ruins was free, or otherwise, she'd be in trouble. The pink convertible's hood was crumpled up like an accordion. The glass on everything was shattered, and there wasn't even a dash board anymore. The wheels were slumped and looked like they were going to pop out from underneath the car any moment. There went the Lickety Split. Geez. She bent down to her knees and rubbed the headlights with a sigh. The tent looked like it had poked out the entire windshield and the car frame poles were sticking up in odd, bent angles.

One word: demolished. She stood again and flipped the hood up, suddenly blasted in the face by a puff of smoke. She coughed and waved it away, surveying the damaged motor. It was totally fried.

"Fried circuits, broken wires, and ruined motor parts," someone behind her stated.

Vanellope turned around with an icy glare. "What are you looking at?"

"Your car."

"I don't want to hear any of your techno-babble. Why don't you go fix the toilet or something instead?" Vanellope spat.

"I'm an inventor and engineer. Not a plumber," Hiro protested. "But seriously. The car's a goner." He crossed his arms and leaned against a chair.

"Thank you for stating the obvious." Vanellope reached down into what was left of the front seat and pulled out Hiro's leather jacket. She whirled it around and threw it at him, making him catch it in the face. "Why are you even here? One apology wasn't enough? What do you want me to do? Grovel?"

"I want to know why you did it."

"What do you mean?"

Hiro stopped leaning on the chair and walked over. "I don't think that was just a sudden realization. More like a forced apology." He crossed his arms and leaned against Vanellope's car. "So why did you do it? I don't think it's because the setting made you uncomfortable."

Vanellope dug around and pulled out her own teal hoodie and dusted it off. She looked up. "I did it because we don't need to be at each other's throats, and you don't need our argument on your plate when you have enough already."

He blinked. "So you still think I wrecked your car?"

"Yes. I do." She stood back, grimacing at the sight of her car. "You made me go super-fast and get the pedal jammed. But it's also partially my fault, too. It's sort of both of our faults. You know you just want someone to blame even though the right person to blame is yourself?" she didn't wait for Hiro to reply. "I guess I… forget it," she huffed.

Hiro just leaned there, drumming his fingers on his arm. "So would I make it up to you if I got you a new car?"

"What? Yes—Hiro, you don't need to get me a new car." Vanellope protested. "It's not really a big deal. Okay?"

"You were treating it like a big deal back there." Hiro nodded his head in the way they came. "So why isn't it a big deal now?" he asked.

Vanellope pursed her lips and thought about it. "I don't know," she lied. "But I do know that my car is the least of anyone's worries. Everyone hated it anyway." She crossed her arms. "Maybe it was for the best." She looked back up at him with a sigh as she shrugged on her hoodie. There was a moment of empty silence. "What?"

"Did it have something to do with me?" Hiro asked.

Vanellope stared for a little bit. Then she slowly nodded. "Maybe a little. Look, it's really stupid. Forget about it."

"What?"

"It's really stupid."

"Vanellope."

"It's _stupid._ "

"Are you gonna tell me?"

Vanellope let out a breath. "Okayitwasyourcat."

Hiro raised his eyebrows.

"Look, I told you it was stupid. Well, I was just kind of thinking that...well, he was _your_ cat, right? Well, I'm not sure if you feel this way, but it's sort of like another member of your family. Gone. To a Cybug. Even for a cat, that fate's horrible. I mean, can you imagine?"

"I don't want to."

"Yeah, I don't either," Vanellope sighed. "But what you've told me about your family...well, I guess I've never worried about mine, since they died such a long time ago that I've sort of gotten over it. But you..." She bit her lip. "Well, to me, you don't want to lose your family for the second time. First your parents, then your aunt, so...I think they mean a lot to you. Plus, uh...I think you're sort of scared of the ruins...?" she squeaked.

Hiro stared.

"I think...because you don't want to find any proof that your family is dead."

"My gosh. How did you piece it together?"

Vanellope clasped her hands behind her back. "GoGo says I have surreal brain powers."

"So you suddenly apologized to me?" Hiro pressed on.

Vanellope shrugged. "The car argument didn't seem to compare," she said simply. "And I'm really sorry. I was acting like a baby."

"We both were," Hiro nodded apologetically. "I'm just sorry we had to do it front of the others."

Vanellope winced in agreement. She looked out over the empty landscape with a sigh. "Also...well, Ralph and the others are good friends too, but..." she paused. "You're also a really good friend. And I was a little scared I was taking the car thing too far, I was afraid it might do something to our friendship. I didn't want that to happen. So... I thought I'd just let it go."

Hiro blinked, a little startled. "I wouldn't have dropped you just because you blamed me for your car wreck."

"Well then, it's still a good thing I dropped the argument." Vanellope bit her lip, a little embarrassed. She wryly looked back up at Hiro. "Well, sort of." She walked over and gave Hiro a playful punch in the shoulder. "You don't _have_ to get me a new car...but I'd really like a new one. I'd hate to get picky, but I'd like a silver or cream colored one this time. Preferably a convertible."

"Don't go getting too picky now," Hiro cautioned. Then it dawned on him that the sun was going down. "What time is it?" Hiro asked quickly.

Vanellope shrugged. "Oh, I dunno. I'd say around five, or something."

"I have a night watch." Hiro furrowed his brow. "And it starts at five thirty. I'd better head on over there," he said hurriedly. With a quickly nod at Vanellope, Hiro started to back away quickly. "I'll think about the car," he promised.

( 0—0 )

Tadashi ruffled Hiro's hair. "Don't wander off," he warned.

"Yep," Hiro said mechanically, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. He straightened his leather jacket and shook his hair out of his eyes.

"And don't fall asleep," Tadashi winked.

"I'm not going to fall asleep!" Hiro protested. "I rested up today. I'm fine," he reassured. "So I think I'm about ready to go." He let out a nervous breath.

"Hey. Bro. Wait." Tadashi quickly pressed a gun cartridge into his hand. "Just take it. For the sake of my sanity and so I can sleep tonight," he chuckled. "But seriously. Take it. You might need it. I have no idea what happens on night watches."

Hiro nodded and slid the extra cartridge into the holder in his belt. "Thanks, Dashi. Hopefully I won't have to use it," he added. "But thanks," he said quickly and headed out into the camp. He let out another breath. "Okay," he murmured to himself. "So she said...go to the guy at the sixth outpost...by the, uh, what was it?" Hiro paused. "The blue tent. Right. Near the North part. North, North, North," he repeated to himself. "Where's North?" Of course, he wouldn't be caught dead asking for directions. Well, he knew at least that West was this way, so if you turn...well, hopefully that was somewhat North. Soon enough, he came upon a very dull, gray-blue tent. Standing there was a man.

Drawing in a breath, Hiro walked over to the guy like he knew what he was doing. He tapped the guy on the shoulder. The guy turned around. "Uh, is this outpost six?" he asked.

The man told him that it was.

"Then, I'm supposed to take your place. Here. I mean," Hiro said, pointing at the ground. The man looked around and nodded, leaving Hiro standing around like a weirdo. Now, he really wished that there was someone to talk to. Already, this was getting boring. After about ten minutes, Hiro found himself somewhat content sitting down with his legs crossed. The sun was already down, and the sky as a dark, blueish purple.

Strangely, his thoughts kept drifting to the Cybugs back at the factory. _Where_ had _the Cybugs come from? Where did they all come from?_ The thought rammed itself into his mind. From what he reckoned, nobody had ever tried to find the source of the Cybugs. Or how to stop them. His ancient question popped into his head. _Have any of you ever tried to find out where the Cybugs came from?_ Why had nobody done it before? Did GoGo have something to do with it? _Maybe it's finally time someone did digging._

By now, he'd taken himself up with doubling numbers, staring at two. _Two. Four. Eight. 16. 32. 64. 128._ He stopped when her heard something—some _body—_ wailing. More like sobbing. It was soft, but it was there. _Well here's something new._ Looking behind him to verify no one was watching, Hiro quickly stood up and headed toward the wailing. There was a gentle rise in the ground, just enough to hide what was on the other side. He crept up it slowly, which wasn't hard at all, due to the dust constantly shifting underneath his boots. He lowered himself to his stomach, crawling the last few inches up the rise, just barely peering over the dust. His breath suddenly caught in his throat and his body tensed, tightening until his throat and muscles hurt.

It was GoGo. And she wasn't alone. There was also Calhoun. And there was Wasabi. And—and…there was Fred. GoGo was dragging Fred—literally—by the shirt collar through the dust, while Fred was sobbing, pleading for mercy. Calhoun and Wasabi were ignoring him, and GoGo seemed to be the most stone-faced one of them all. But the most startling fact was that GoGo had a coil of cord slung on her shoulder along with a very long knife. And Hiro wasn't sure he wanted to know why. He glanced back the way he came, Tadashi's words flashing through his head. _Don't wander off._ But he saw this, he was sure Tadashi would make an exception.

Gritting his teeth and without a backward glance or second thought, Hiro lunged up and followed behind them as stealthily as he could.


	13. Chapter XII: Final Straw

Dust. There was dust everywhere. It was in her hair. In her shoes. Her shirt. Her gloves. Just everywhere. Blinking some of the sand out of her eyes, GoGo stopped, surveying the empty stretch of desert that lay before them. "Stop here," she said and pulled the sobbing Fred up to the ground in front of her.

"I'd tie him up nearer to the city," Calhoun suggested. "Closer to the Cybugs. It would give him a greater chance of getting eaten."

Fred let out another pitiful sob. GoGo gave an inward groan. "No, I want him here," she said, turning around to face her two comrades. "And besides. His crying will attract the things. And if the Cybugs don't find him, the elements will do the job." She turned around, looking up at the sky. "Okay. Let's hurry up. If there're Cybugs out, I don't wanna be around when they get here."

"Well, if we had a car, we wouldn't have to hurry up," Calhoun noted.

"But if we had a car, someone would notice that we were missing. One of those Hamada boys could've followed our tracks. You covered our footsteps, right 'Sabi?" GoGo asked, resting her hand on her hip.

"Um, yeah," Wasabi said, looking down at his over-dusty jacket. "But, GoGo, do we really have to do this? I mean, I'm really starting to question your methods for—" Wasabi stopped in mid-sentence when he saw GoGo's beady glare. "I mean, not _question_ , but…I think they're starting to cross the line."

"If I'm just starting, then I've been crossing the line for a very long time. No one had a problem with it before. Do you want to be the first?"

Wasabi shook his head.

"Okay." She nodded. "Let's get to work."

"No! You can't leave me out here!" Fred protested. "Please! _Please_! I'm begging you! Don't leave me! Plea-he-he-he-heeeeeease!" Fred's words trailed off into sobbing. He was on his knees before GoGo, who was staring. "I can work! I can wash clothes! I'm _begging_ you for another chance!" Fred's face streamed tears, eyes red and puffy from crying. "One more! _One more_! I won't flub it! I swear I won't!" In desperation, Fred turned to Wasabi. "Wasabi! Talk to her! _Please_!"

Wasabi looked torn, trying to shrink away from the matter. He had never wanted to come out here. He didn't like the way GoGo did these things, and he hated being a part of it. He turned away.

"I'll tie him," Calhoun volunteered.

"HHHHHIIIIIIIIIRRRROOOOO!" Fred screamed at the top of his lungs.

" _HEY_!" GoGo spat and gripped Fred by the shoulders, staring daggers into his blue eyes. "LOOK AT ME!" she yelled and leaned closer. " _Your little hero isn't here_ ," she whispered. " _And guess what?_ " she asked

"W-what?" Fred stammered.

" _He's not gonna come for you. You're all alone out here._ " She pulled back, her fingers firmly digging into his shoulders, making Fred wince as Calhoun slowly wound the cord around him. _Or at least his hero isn't here yet._ GoGo thought. "Don't forget his legs," she reminded. Watching Fred in such a fearful state, she couldn't help but feel a little burn of pleasure. Fred feared her, and it made her feel powerful. She could make someone afraid of her. And with the thought that Fred was willing to do anything to win his freedom, even service until he died, and that it would be denied, GoGo almost wanted to stay here just to watch Fred die. But no, even that would make Calhoun start to worry. Still, she intended to enjoy this.

( 0—0 )

Watching the foursome from behind the distant rise, Hiro's mind was racing for options. What was he supposed to do? Go down there like a knight and declare Fred was to go free? Stay and watch? With a withering sigh, he crouched on his stomach, waiting for the right moment. Fred had been completely tied up now, and his sobs were dying. GoGo whipped out the knife, making Hiro freeze. It was now or never. Standing up quickly and slinging his gun off his shoulder, he held it to his shoulder and aimed. With a breath, he pulled the trigger. The crack echoed through the night air, and made the four jump. Wasabi yelped, Calhoun froze, Fred gave a little scream, and GoGo let out a cry of pain. With the dim moonlight, he couldn't see if he had hit his mark. The knife was out of GoGo's hand and lying a foot away where it wouldn't hit Fred. _Yes._ Hiro thought smugly. A commotion was starting down there. Wasabi and Calhoun were bustling around GoGo frantically. "The _leg_!" GoGo yelled.

 _No._ Hiro felt a sinking feeling in his gut. He'd shot GoGo in the leg. _Crap._ This wasn't good. He quickly stood up and slid down the sand dune, approaching them.

Calhoun and Wasabi had spotted him already, and a ginormous smile spread across Fred's face. "Hiro! I knew you heard me, dude!" Fred exclaimed.

"W-w-what are you doing out here? You are supposed to be on tonight's watch!" Wasabi protested, his eyes wide.

"I was," Hiro assured. "And you know what I found?" he growled, turning to glare at GoGo. "You really want him gone, don't you, GoGo?"

She seethed her teeth in pain. So he had come after all. "You are full of surprises," GoGo hissed in a strained voice as she drew her hand away from her calf. It was dripping with blood. "Were you aiming for Fred, or me?"

"I didn't mean to shoot you! It was an accident!" Hiro explained.

"Oh, we _all_ fall for that one. Too cliché, Hiro," GoGo scoffed, grimacing with pain. "And then you would actually dare to shoot me."

"You were gonna stab Fred, o-o-or something with that knife, so I tried to shoot it out of your hand," Hiro protested. "I swear!"

GoGo gave a dry laugh. "Then you were miles off your mark. Haven't you put Calhoun's lessons to good use? The least you could do was hit me in the side or arm." she smirked. "But A for effort," she said sarcastically. "Why would I want to kill him if I wanted him dead by the Cybugs?"

"Oh." Hiro knelt down next to Fred and reached for the knife lying in the dust, setting to work on the cord, which was tougher than overcooked beef. It took a lot of effort and arm strength just to get past the nylon covering. "Why are you doing this?" Hiro accused, looking up at her. "Fred didn't do anything wrong! Or are you making a second attempt to kill him off?"

"Stop him Wasabi!" GoGo ordered.

The man only shifted his footing.

Fuming, but staying where she was, GoGo let out a pained groan, sitting down and trying to wipe her bleeding calf. "No. No, I actually had a real reason this time," GoGo argued. "He was caught trying to steal bullets."

" _Bullets_?" Hiro echoed, aghast. "Fred would _never_ steal bullets! He doesn't even have a gun! What exactly happened?" he asked, sawing through the cord.

"I'm telling you, Hiro. I was framed," Fred said hurriedly as Hiro finally cut his hands free. "I didn't do it. I was trying to find the sugar, so Joey suggested that I try the, uh, what was it? The warehouse. So I went to the warehouse and I grabbed a couple of things, brought them back, and opened the bag of Splenda, but, _it wasn't Splenda, Hiro_ ," Fred insisted seriously. "It was _bullets_ ," he said. "I tried to take them back to the weapon-place-thingy, and—"

"And he got caught trying to break into the weapon shack," Calhoun finished for him. "That's how it happened. Except that the real story is that he was smuggling bullets in a Splenda bag. In case you didn't know, stealing weapons, for oneself or for someone else is one of the worst offenses you can commit here."

Hiro set to work on the cord around Fred's ankles. "You dummies can't actually believe that Fred was trying to steal a pistol. I mean, someone obviously tried to frame him by planting bullets in the sugar! I mean, why would he want bullets? He doesn't have a gun," Hiro reasoned. "You didn't give him one."

"Because the last thing I need is a trigger-happy idiot," GoGo muttered.

"I think the last thing you need, or, _want_ , is a lot of people. Thinning the herd?" Hiro raised his eyebrows.

"But you know what I think?" GoGo chuckled darkly. "That he was trying to get weapons for...someone else," she said, spitting words directly at Hiro.

"By bullets in the Splenda? I don't think Fred surviving his first test and the bullets are a coincidence." He glared at her as he finally cut through the cord. "This way, you could finally get rid of him with justification, since his patrol didn't kill him off. Did I just figure you all out?" _That was probably too far._ Hiro thought as he bit his lip.

Hearing what he'd said, Wasabi could feel his mouth drop as he turned and stared at GoGo, who avoided his gaze.

She took a deep breath and let it out. "You forgot one more part," she said and slowly stood up, despite the burning pain in her leg. Her shadow fell over Hiro and Fred as she leaned close to whisper in his ear. " _I_ planted you in outpost six so you could see us leave. Then you'd come for Fred and break the rules and get caught." GoGo's eyes glinted wickedly. The last part was left unsaid. Hiro gulped. "And you fell right into place, Hiro. Did you figure that out?" she hissed, waiting for an answer.

Then he suddenly grabbed his rifle and held it up to GoGo's forehead, using the sliding technique Calhoun taught him. Calhoun and Wasabi quickly pointed their own rifles at Hiro, and with a startled squeak, Fred crawled out of the way. "Nope," Hiro admitted with a grin. "I didn't." He flexed his fingers. "But if you try to hurt Fred or me out here, I'll pull the trigger. And even if you survive and we don't, my brother will beat you up anyway."

After a tense moment, GoGo finally chuckled. "I guess the boo's on me for not having my gun ready," she admitted. "But then again..." she pulled out her pistol and slowly held it to Hiro's forehead. "I don't think you'd really shoot me. You're not the type. You know?" She shrugged. "Don't be too disappointed if we go back without you. I'm perfectly willing to let you stay here."

"GoGo, this is too far," Wasabi said and lowered his gun. "Dragging out people because they aren't smart enough, or whatever, so they can be eaten by Cybugs...it's indirect murder, GoGo! Do you really want to be a murderer? Don't smear Fred's blood on your hands. You already have enough blood." When it dawned on Wasabi what he'd done, he quickly shut his mouth, his eyes wide.

GoGo stopped, staring at him. "What did you just say?"

"Uuuuh..." Wasabi started. "...don't...kill...Fred," he suggested hopefully.

Then, distant gunshots filled the air, followed by screeches. The five heads turned to see a few wildly shining flashlights a couple miles ahead on the dusty plain. Suddenly, the guns didn't matter anymore.

"We need to go, now," Hiro said standing up quickly and slinging his rifle over his shoulder. Fred stood up and the rest started to back away, toward the direction on the gang camp. Fred took off at a slow jog with Wasabi close by. Hiro started to follow them, the sound of the gunshots and screeches getting closer. He was at the top of the rise when he looked back. Calhoun was helping the groaning GoGo walk, her arm slung around Calhoun's shoulder. At the rate they were going, they might not be able to outrun the coming conflict.

He looked back at Fred, who had turned around. "Hiro?" Fred asked.

Hiro quickly slid back down the rise and ran back to Calhoun and GoGo. Through her black hair, GoGo glared at him. "What are you doing? You should get out of here," she hissed.

"Yeah but," Hiro took GoGo's other arm, slinging it over his neck, "You need to get out of here, too. And you guys aren't gonna make it. Come on," he grunted. "Move your feet," he urged, suddenly realizing that GoGo wasn't the lightest person around.

"I just tried to—kill Fred. And—you're— _still_ helping me."

"Absolutely," Hiro replied, absent minded.

With the two working together, GoGo moved faster. It took about half an hour, but the gang camp finally came into view, lighting the way. GoGo was heavy, and he felt like his neck was going to break any second now.

GoGo looked up at the camp, then winced, seething her teeth. "Geez." She looked down at her blood-coated leg. "Woman up. Woman up," she repeated to herself. They made it to the camp, Wasabi and Fred running ahead. Waves of murmurs ran through the crowd when they saw GoGo, some of them asking what had happened. "Later," GoGo groaned. "Just get me to Felix."

Hiro and Calhoun did get her to Felix eventually. "GoGo, what happened? It's so late," Felix remarked as he pulled out a chair for GoGo to sit in, looking for gauze wrap.

"I'm not gonna explain—now." GoGo bit her lip as Hiro and Calhoun let her down into the chair and Hiro turned to leave. "Hey," GoGo said sternly. Hiro turned around, GoGo waving a finger for him to come back. Slowly, he obeyed. "Hiro," GoGo started and reached for his arm. But her hand suddenly flew to the collar of his shirt and yanked Hiro down to her level, staring him in the eye. "I'll let you off this time. But _if you tell_ anyone _about what happened tonight...I will personally wring your neck._ " She shoved him back and let go. '' _Watch your back_ '' she mouthed after him.

Hiro, rubbing his neck with wide eyes, took her warning to heart and quickly left the tent. "Good night, Fred," Hiro said in a small voice.

"Goodnight, dude." Fred waved. "And thanks for saving me!" he called, making Hiro wince as he walked off into the dark night.

( 0—0 )

"Sunshine. Too much sunshine," Hiro moaned in a slurred voice as he slapped an arm over his head. "I don' wanna wake up." He turned over in his cot. "And don' thin' about sitting on me," he added, blindly pointing a finger where his brother sat.

With a sigh, Tadashi stood up from his cot. "Was the night patrol too much for you?" he asked smugly, shrugging a green hoodie over his broad shoulders.

"No it wasn't!" Hiro protested, bolting upright. "It was fine! I—nothing happened." he said quickly. "It was fine."

Tadashi turned around to look at him. "Hiro Hamada."

Hiro wasn't sure he liked the serious edge to his brother's voice.

Tadashi walked over to him slowly and bent down, looking him in the eyes. "I heard about what happened last night," he said finally.

 _Don't ask. Don't ask. Please don't ask._ Hiro pleaded in his mind.

"What happened?" Tadashi asked.

Hiro pursed his lips. "Well..." he started, "What did you hear?"

"I heard that Fred, Wasabi, Calhoun, GoGo, and you came in last night at eleven. You and Calhoun were dragging GoGo in, and she was shot in the leg."

"From whom?"

"Francis."

"Francis? What was _Francis_ doing up at eleven?"

"He was talking with Ralph when they saw you guys come in." Tadashi sat down on his own cot across from Hiro, whose mouth was feeling like paper. Tadashi ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. "I'm waiting."

Opening his mouth, only a strangled noise came out of his throat. Hiro struggled for words, his mind racing furiously. He finally looked up. "I can't tell you," he said firmly. "I can't. If I do, GoGo will have my head."

Tadashi stared at him for a minute before finally nodding. "Okay," he said. "Yeah. Okay. I prefer my brother with his head on his shoulders," he agreed. "Now get dressed. You're gonna miss breakfast," Tadashi said, giving Hiro an affectionate nudge on the head. "You don't want to miss out on Fred-doughnuts, do you?" he teased with a dry smirk.

"I _am_ dressed," Hiro rebutted.

"You're not going in your pajamas, Hiro. Now seriously. Hop to it."

When they sat down at the breakfast table, Hiro was suddenly bombarded from every single angle with questions. "Are you okay?" "What happened?" "What happened to GoGo?" "Was it a gang?" "Was it Cybugs?" "What were you doing out there with GoGo?" "Why was Fred with you guys?" "Was it about Fred?" "Why were you out so late?" "Did anyone die?"

Hiro dug his fingers into his hair, waving off all the questions. "No, NO! Nothing happened! It—no! I mean—no, no one died! I didn't—wait, just—stop! It—forget it," he muttered finally.

"Hiro."

"Huh?" The hand on his shoulder made Hiro whirl around, startled.

With a little nod, GoGo hinted the faintest glimmer of a smile. She turned back to Hiro and leaned down. "Sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but I packed a little something. Can you come with me?" she asked.

 _Can you_. Not _I want you to._ She was asking. That was different. "Uuuh..." he wavered and straightened, pressing his back to the table. _I don't trust you_ he mouthed silently. Hiro glanced back at Tadashi, who made no reply. He slowly nodded. "Um, yeah. Sure." he got up, turning to Tadashi and jerking a finger at GoGo. "I'm gonna...yeah," he said and ran to catch up with GoGo. He fell in step next to GoGo. "How's your, uh, leg?" he asked good-naturedly.

"Your bullet grazed it, so it's fine." GoGo replied. "It was just bloody."

"So, where are we going?" Hiro asked. "Need something fixed?"

"We're going on a patrol," GoGo explained.

"W—h-hold on. Just you and me?" Hiro stopped in his tracks.

"Yep." GoGo blew a gum bubble and popped it with her teeth. "Have a problem with that?" she asked.

Hiro quickly shook his head. "…yeeeeeesss," he said slowly.

"I assume you didn't tell anyone about last night?"

"No."

"Good. Then we're gonna act like nothing happened. We're still on good terms; get that running through you heads for the crowds. Woman up," she said, walking up to a silver Volvo and opened the door to the passenger side, slamming the door closed after Hiro had hesitantly stepped inside. Sliding into the driver side and slamming the door behind her, GoGo slid a key into the ignition, making the car come to life. She stepped on the pedal and the silver car raced out into the barren landscape.

The drive was quiet, except the hum of the car's engine, which soon blended into the background. Hiro watched the dry sky speed by. Pain suddenly pinched his gut with a rumble. "Hey, you said you had packed something?" Hiro asked.

She nodded at the backseat. Unbuckling, Hiro turned around. Sure enough, a small cooler the size of a purse sat nestled in the backseat. He reached forward and grabbed it. Then he looked down. Neatly tucked as far as it would go underneath GoGo's seat was a bag. He glanced back at her, but finally decide to keep quiet. With a grunt, Hiro set the cooler in his lap and unzipped the top. Inside were two cups of yogurt. "Whoa!" Hiro marveled as he picked up one of the cups, running his finger over the logo. "Where did you _get_ these?" he asked, discovering two plastic spoons tucked into a pocket. He grabbed one and peeled the aluminum top off the yogurt cup.

"We have a small pack of them in a cooler in the kitchen."

"Why don't Fred and Joey just dish these out for breakfast?" Hiro asked as he spooned some of the strawberry yogurt into his mouth.

GoGo let out a withering sigh, clenching the wheel tightly. "Those two see yogurt as a food thickener. Unfortunately, they don't understand that's what cornstarch is for." GoGo drummed her fingers on the rubber-covered wheel. "I need to get new cooks," she grumbled and turned the wheel. "This car is slow."

"Uh, no," Hiro observed. "You're going at 60 miles per hour."

"It's too slow for me," GoGo clarified grumpily. "You've never ridden an electro-mag suspension wheeled bike before. Let's just say, if you aren't holding on strong enough and you start pedaling, you could fall off and crack your head open," she chuckled. "Yeah. Probably one of my greatest inventions yet."

"Wait. So you mean you _made_ the bike?" Hiro asked.

"Yep." GoGo laughed when she saw the expression on Hiro's face. "Don't look so surprised! You aren't the only robotics whiz out here, okay?" she smirked.

Then the city started to loom into view. Watching the tips of the skyscrapers slowly rise above the dunes of sand, Hiro stopped eating the yogurt for a second to stare. From this distance, it looked so forlorn and desolate. Was that really his home a few months ago? Just past the sky scrapers, he could see just barely the ocean. But instead of an iridescent green-blue, it was a dull gray. "If you guys are having trouble finding some water, then why don't you just use the ocean?" Hiro asked, looking over his shoulder to look at GoGo.

She looked out Hiro's window, scoffing when she saw the glimpse of the ocean. "Uh, Hiro? That water is salt. There's no way we could drink that."

"Then what about a water filter?"

"Look," GoGo said stiffly. "When we kill the Cybugs, instead of blood, they have acid. The acid leaks into the ocean and contaminates the water. Would you like to drink Cybug acid?" She didn't expect an answer back.

Hiro slowly turned back to looked at the water. "Well, then...what about a water filter that could filter out both salt and acid?" he suggested.

The car suddenly slowed, giving GoGo the chance to look Hiro in the eye. "What are you suggesting?" she asked.

"Well, what if you could somehow make a filter that could filter out both acid and salt and put it in a water filter? That way, we'd be able to drink the ocean water," Hiro explained again slowly. "Using a metallic filter, the acid would eat through that. But maybe some sort of energy net, something the acid couldn't eat through, would be able to filter out both the salt and the acid."

GoGo nodded. "And you're saying you can somehow make this?"

Hiro nodded slowly. "Yyyeeeeeeeeeesss..."

GoGo grinned. "I like it. How well do you draw blueprints?"

Hiro gave a modest shrug. "Okay. I kinda need a ruler," he admitted. "But if you have paper and a pencil, I bet I could come up with something." He looked around them. "But I don't think you'd have grid-line paper in here, would you?"

GoGo shook her head. "Nope." she said. "But there are a few sheets in there," she said, pointing at the glove compartment. Hiro opened it and sure enough, there was a sheet of paper, which he pulled out and set on the dashboard in front of him. Taking a pen out of her pocket, GoGo handed it to Hiro, who took it, setting to work. About three minutes passed when Hiro suddenly let out an exasperated breath as he slammed the pen on the handle of the door, crumpling up his paper, and pitching it into the back. He ran his fingers through his hair. Then he patiently grabbed another sheet of paper, flicked out his pen, and started over again. Sometimes, he would stare out the window, biting the end of the pen, deep in thought, or bang his head on the dashboard, moaning about no ideas and useless, empty brains. One time, he was so frustrated he banged the pen on the car door handle over and over and over until the pen suddenly snapped and busted. He froze when he realized what he'd done. Then he gathered up the parts of the pen and quickly reassembled it and continued to draw the blueprints.

After about an hour, Hiro finally set the pen down with a heaving sigh as he slumped in his chair. He stiffly handed the paper to GoGo. She slowed the car to a stop as she took the paper from his hand. It looked complex, but understandable. Simple process, yet the work of a genius. The were some scribbled notes in the corners that she couldn't read, but they didn't look important. She could even build this herself, probably. She nodded and folded it into her jacket pocket. "This is good," she admitted. "Really good." Nothing more was said about it.

The drive went on for yet another half hour. Hiro looked out the window. "Um, we've never been here before," he observed. "Is there something we need to find that's all the way over here? Why did you take me out here?" he asked.

"E—" GoGo went stiff and her eyes suddenly stared only straight ahead, avoiding his gaze. She made no answer. Her eyes quickly darted to the backseat, almost looking like she was about to panic. She slowly reached over and pressed a button, locking all the doors in the car. Hiro froze. The lumpy bag. The long car ride. The Blueprints. It all horrifyingly fell into place.

GoGo was…

Like a yelling savage, Hiro tore at the car door handle, which wouldn't budge. He slammed his fists against the window when GoGo suddenly stopped the car with a halting screech to grab him and pull him back. He frantically scrambled into the backseat as GoGo followed him, grabbing him by the ankle and pulling him back, making Hiro slip and hit his chin on the backseat. With a sliding motion, GoGo vaulted into the backseat and scrambled for the bag, which she ripped open.

And inside was a coil of cord and a knife. She grabbed the rope when Hiro stuck his knee in her face as he crawled into the trunk. He tried to kick the glass window, but there wasn't even a crack. He panicked. Clutching his head, he realized he was cornered. GoGo crawled back into the trunk and tried to kick him in the face, missing by inches. The two rolled around in the trunk like puppies as Hiro scrambled into the front seat, pressing the unlock button. The click of the doors unlocking gave him a small burst of hope as he wrenched the door open. He had set one foot out of the car when the locking button clicked and GoGo pushed him forward, slamming his face into the open car door. Letting out a cry of pain, Hiro felt himself get dragged back into the car by a firm fist as GoGo closed the door. Her foot finally met his chest as he hit his back on the dashboard, and with a sudden gasp, he felt the wind knocked out of him. He sunk down to the floor of the car, struggling for the air that wasn't there. Then he took a sudden, burning breath and coughed. GoGo was slamming her foot down on the pedal as hard as she could. Hiro reached out and shoved GoGo's feet. The car screeched to a jerking stop before jolting back to life again. It jerked and jolted, shaking Hiro and GoGo around wildly until they felt like bobble head souvenirs. Hiro tried for the unlock button, reaching across GoGo's arms, making her jerk the wheel to the left, which jerked them both to left, making GoGo hit her face on the glass window. Hiro's fingers fell short of the button when GoGo lifted her knee into Hiro's face. Making for the refuge of the back seat, Hiro almost made it when the car suddenly jerked to a stop as GoGo reached a leg out and slammed a foot against the back of Hiro's head, pressing it to the top of the backseats. Hiro could see a red smear on the soft fabric seats. GoGo triumphantly rested on top of him as she started to wind the cord around Hiro's hands behind his back. "There's no one out here! No one will hear you! But if you scream for help one more time, I'll—!" GoGo's threat was cut short when the window on her left suddenly splintered and shattered, the glass raining down on the back seat. She ducked, dragging down Hiro with her.

He groaned and gave a weak cry of pain when GoGo accidentally shoved a knee into his gut as she crawled over him to peek out the window. A gun shot filled the air, followed by another. A small explosion of dust near the car's tires made GoGo duck again. She breathed heavily, pulling the pistol out of her hip holster. She pushed the safety button off as another gunshot echoed in the air. "What's...going on?" Hiro rasped.

GoGo glared at him, her eyes dark. His face was smudged with blood and he had a black eye. But it didn't matter. "We're being shot at," she hissed. "And I bet that it's another gang." She gritted her teeth. Suddenly, there was a deafening gunshot and the windshield of the car shattered.

 _We're stuck out here, getting shot at_. GoGo thought as she looked over at Hiro. The kid was in horrible shape. But she realized that if they wanted to get out of here with all their limbs, they would have to work together.

 **So hey, guys (I know, after chapter 12, I finally figure out how to do this. Crap). Well, for those of you who don't know, I'm sorta busy with a bunch of stuff (mainly school, an art job, inktober, and other things besides that). However, I'm still trying to set aside time to dump these here. I hope you guys are enjoying it so far! FYI, I'm actually on chapter 33, and I am literally a few chapters away from the end. Of the whole thing. I started this is 2015, so the fact that I've kept writing this for 2-3 years and it's almost done is REALLY SUPER STINKING EXCITING. But that's basically it! Just wanted to say hi. 3**

 **~ kiwii-chan**


	14. Chapter XIII: Forced Alliance

With a sly glance at Ralph, Francis, Cadence, Tadashi, Honey Lemon, Vanellope, Fred, and Diana, Jordan suddenly whipped a card out of his sleeve, closing his eyes and holding it to his audience. "Alright. So you can see that this card is...what?"

"It's a Jack of clubs," Cadence answered.

"Right. So, Fred already picked a card, which he shared with you all. I wasn't peeking," Jordan explained. "Now, with my amazing brain power and stupendous mind abilities, I will force this card to change to Fred's card...using pure will!" He clapped both hands over the card until it was hidden from view and made a sudden blowing noise, as if he was blowing at a candle, and snapped his eyes open, making Honey Lemon jump. "AHA!" he shouted. "And what is it now?" He slowly peeled away a hand and held the card out to the audience. "Is this your card?" he asked. Fred gaped, making a slow nod. Cadence burst into applause, a few of the others following. "Thank you. Thank you." Jordan made a dramatic bow.

"That wasn't magic!" Ralph protested. "The card had two sides! I just bet you it has two sides! You just got some sort of special deck."

"AND FOR MY NEXT ACT!" Jordan stopped Ralph, "I need a volunteer from the audience!" he announced.

Honey Lemon raised her hand, giggling.

"Ah! The young lady with the pink glasses in front! Step right up!" Jordan urged, offering a hand to Honey, helping out of her seat. Jordan fanned out a deck of cards, his eyes closed. "Pick a card."

Honey Lemon pursed her lips and selected a card.

"Show the audience what you have chosen," Jordan instructed. Honey obeyed; an Ace of Hearts. "Now kindly distribute the card into your pocket or something, out of sight."

Honey Lemon slid the card quietly into her head band, tucking it until it wasn't visible.

Jordan opened his eyes and shoved the deck into his jeans pocket and pulled out another card from his other pocket, holding it out to the audience. It was blank. "As you may notice, ladies and gentlemen, that this card is blank. But I will change it into Honey's card in the blink of an eye!" He held the card with one hand while he set the other on Honey Lemon's head. "I will read your mind," he said mysteriously. He said something in Egyptian. Then he pulled his hand back and clasped the blank card with both hands, eyes closed. It almost looked like he was going to sneeze.

Then, he did.

With one of the most disgusting noises any of them had ever heard, Jordan suddenly doubled over, sneezing onto the blank card. The audience gave a disgusted groan. Jordan bent back up and sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "I apologize for that untimely disgusting outburst and display of vulgar-ness," he sniffed again with a loud snort. He wiped the card on his pants before holding it out to Honey Lemon. "Is this your card?" he asked.

Honey Lemon gaped. "Oh my gosh, how did you do that?" she asked as she handed over the real Ace of Hearts from her headband.

Jordan showed the blank card to the audience. It was now an Ace of Hearts. "I sneezed your card onto this blank one!" he explained cheerfully.

"AW, EW!" the audience moaned as Diana shook her head.

Jordan laughed. "Alright! Now who wants the card for a souvenir?" Fred's hand shot up into the air. "Whoa, dude. Seriously?" Jordan's eyes widened. Fred nodded. With a minute of regard, Jordan shrugged and handed the card over to Fred. "But you should wash it. Might actually have real snot on it."

"Aw, come one!" Ralph held out his hands. "That's not magic _at all_!"

"That was so gross," Cadence shuddered with a laugh. Francis chuckled with her. He wasn't even paying attention to the card trick.

While Fred gawked over his card, oblivious to the slime, Vanellope leaned over to look at the card. "Jordan, is there really snot on that thing?" she asked skeptically.

"Oh yeah. I worked it up," Jordan grinned mischievously.

"EW!" Diana shrieked and hugged her elbows, stamping her feet on the ground.

The others were complimenting Jordan on his showman skills, but Honey noticed Tadashi staring out into the distance, absent minded. With a little breath, she walked over. "Are you okay?" she asked, brushing her hand on his shoulder.

Tadashi looked up at her, brown eyes worried. "They're not back yet."

"Who?" Honey asked.

Tadashi let out a breath. "GoGo and Hiro went out this morning. And they still haven't come back yet. And it's already 4:20." He crossed his arms.

"Maybe they eloped," Diana shrugged.

"EEW! _My_ sister? And _his_ brother? Are you joking? That's gross!" Vanellope protested. "She's, like, way older, anyway!"

"Don't sweat it, dude." Jordan waved a hand at Tadashi. "Seriously? If anyone knows how to handle themselves out there, it's GoGo. Don't worry about it," he repeated as he wiped his nose again with his hand. "They'll be back soon enough."

Tadashi sighed ruefully and shook his head, looking back out at the horizon. "Maybe," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "Maybe."

( 0—0 )

"GoGo," Hiro moaned, "If you wanted me to fight with a gun...then you shouldn't have beat me up so bad," he coughed, wiping a hand down the side of his face, smeared with blood.

"Well, I didn't know that we were gonna _have_ to fight!" GoGo wanted to explode. "Now we're being shot at, you're lying in the car complaining, and that leaves me to do all the work."

Hiro let out a dry chuckle, his head lolling to the other side. "Heh, heh,"

"What?" GoGo demanded.

Hiro moved his head to look at her. His blood-stained lips were curled up into a grin. He let out another chuckle. "You got us into this mess," he said. "You get us out."

Okay. He had a point. But that didn't mean that he got the privilege to lounge around in the car like it was a sofa. She pursed her lips and stiffly grabbed her gun. "Fine." She crouched right beneath the window, her gun held close to her chest, which was rising heavily with nervousness. She took a small peek above the broken glass. A man and woman approached the car, guns held high, pointed at them, followed by two teenage boys and a girl. All of them had red shoulder patches.

Reds. The man in particular heaved a ginormous gun that looked like it packed a punch. They looked about fifty feet away. GoGo ducked down again, knowing that her rifle wouldn't do much against the big one. She looked down at Hiro, who was weakly trying to get up. She reached over and pushed him down. "Get down," she muttered. Hiro let out a grunt as he fell back to the car floor. GoGo's mind was racing wildly for options, all of which seemed to be right beyond her grasp. She reached across Hiro and unlocked his door on the Red's blind side, slowly opening it just a crack. "Get out," she breathed.

Without a word, Hiro obeyed, slowly crawling out of the car and landing on the dust with a little grunt. "Agh, my foot hurts," Hiro winced.

Silently, GoGo hopped out of the car, landing next to him and closed the door as quietly as she could. "Keep quiet," she ordered. She grabbed Hiro's handgun out of Hiro's belt and shoved it into his hand. "Get ready."

"What? What's going on?" Hiro whispered, wiping a bloody hand on his red shirt, smearing it. "Is it the gang?" he asked as he rubbed his ankle.

GoGo nodded. "Yeah. It's the gang," she hissed, trying to think a way out of this. Then she had an idea. She took Hiro by the shoulder. "Okay. Hiro, here's what we're gonna do."

( 0—0 )

The Red Patrol head saw the silver Volvo, lying still just ahead, as if the rampage car had suddenly died. Maybe it had.

The man wrenched open the car door and held up his gun in the blink of an eye. But the car was empty. There was, however, a lovely red streak on the back seat. He reached out and wiped a finger on it. And it was fresh. He shook his head. "There's no one in here," he observed, stretching in to check the trunk. Empty.

"But it was going totally _loco_ when we saw it," one of the teenage boys piped up. "There had to be _someone_ driving it."

Holding a finger to his lips, the man nodded to the left. The woman slowly led the two boys around the left, while he took the girl around the right. They met around the other side, where they found a boy. They held up their guns suddenly, ready to fire if needed.

The boy pitifully raised his hands. "Wait! Please, don't...don't shoot," he rasped. The first thing to notice about his was that he was in bad shape. And he sported a black wristband on his right arm.

"A Black," the girl behind him sneered. "You look a little young to be driving out here on your own," she remarked, kicking at the boy's foot.

With a chuckle, the boy rubbed his hair. "Yeah. I guess I am."

"Was anyone else with you?" the man asked. Hiro merely shook his head and coughed. The man came around and opened the hood. "Well, you're obviously not going back to your gang." He held the gun and fired it directly into the car's engine. It snapped and there was a loud noise, like metal was wrenched apart. Hiro protested, but then it was clear that this man had other plans in mind. He fired again. There was a big boom, and a small cloud of smoke. The man waved it away with a smirk. "Hope nobody was expecting you anytime soon."

Underneath the car, GoGo held her hands over her head, the heat of the car almost suffocating. She kept her chin pressed to the dust, afraid that if she raised her head, she would bump the car and alert them to her presence. Risking a glance, she saw the toes of big, clunky boots, which then marched around to Hiro. He chuckled. "Now don't lie to us, boy," he said. GoGo could hear a gun moving cock. "What's your name?"

"H- _Hiro_ ," he said in the Japanese pronunciation.

"Then _Hiro_ , tell me." She could hear a cocking gun. " _Was there anyone else with you_?" the man asked in a threatening voice.

GoGo held her breath. If Hiro got shot, then there was no way this would work. Plus, she had taken Hiro's former warning that Tadashi would beat her up if she let him die to heart. She wasn't sure how she was gonna explain that she was hiding under a car while Hiro got shot. But she wasn't supposed to make her entrance now. Not yet.

Hiro coughed and she could see that he shook his head. "No," he said in a small voice. "I-i-it was just me."

She kept her face pressed to the dust, listening to them rampage the car, looking for supplies. After a nigh unendurable ten minutes, she heard them shove Hiro to his feet and march him away. Waiting an extra twenty seconds, she chanced a glance out from the car and crawled out. Looking through the windows, she could see them marching Hiro away, hauling also the knife and a few other things. Hiro, hands tied with the rope, chanced a very small glance back at her. He looked scared, yet calm.

It was a little disturbing. She quickly climbed up onto the car's wheels, standing on them to look out over the top of the car. She set her gun and aimed very carefully. _Aim for the guy. Aim for the guy. The guy has the big gun._ She told herself. The black cross was aimed straight for the man's burly back. She let out a soft breath, holding her gun steady. Then she pulled the trigger. The crack filled the air, echoing ominously. GoGo quickly lifted her head to see if she had hit her mark. The Red patrol froze. Then the man fell to his knees, grimacing in pain. Even from here, GoGo could see that the pooling stain of blood was blooming at his shoulder. The girl screamed. They all turned around to see GoGo peeking over the car. "HE'S GOT A GIRLFRIEND!" one of the boys yelled. The man turned himself around to see. Sure enough, there was GoGo, crawling on top of the car. She muttered and pulled the trigger again, making sure not to hit Hiro. Immediately, the two boys ran straight for the car, shooting back, but the other girl helped the man up.

The woman grabbed Hiro by the arm and quickly held her hand gun to his chin. "LISTEN UP!" the woman shouted. "If you try to hurt any one of us, then this guy here croaks!" she threatened. "Now throw your gun down and walk over here slowly!" the woman ordered, giving Hiro a shove.

Firmly, GoGo grit her teeth. "It's gonna take more than that!" she spat.

Hiro kicked the woman in the shins, making her let out a cry of pain. The woman shot off in the wrong direction, her arm jerked. In a second, Hiro grabbed the knife GoGo had given him out of his back pocket, trying to saw through the rope. The girl ran forward, taking a flying jump and barreling straight into Hiro. They fell to the ground, the girl trying to grab the knife out of Hiro's hand. Hiro rolled over, shoving the girl off him bumping his body, and kicked her in the face, making her scream. Hiro rolled off her and continued to saw with the knife until his bonds were severed. Then the woman punched him in the gut, making Hiro wheeze and fall to his knees. He gasped for breath as the woman hauled him up with a gun to his chin again, and the girl tended to her bleeding face. The man was shakily trying to hold up his gun, trembling with the pain in his shoulder. In his quivering sights was GoGo. He pulled the trigger, the recoil knocking off his aim.

GoGo let out a cry of alarm as the gun shot made a smoldering crater in the hood of the Volvo. She ducked down again and cocked her gun. The two boys were getting closer. She could take them. When the first one emerged, GoGo whipped her gun towards his head and pulled the trigger, making sure it hit him in the shoulder instead. He let out a scream and fell to his knees, blood pouring from his shoulder. She whirled around just in time to see the other boy pull the trigger, hitting her in the side. Barely. She seethed her teeth. The boy thought he'd done it, and held the gun to her shoulder as a threat. But nothing more. GoGo knocked the gun away, hitting her knuckles in the process as she kicked him in the shins and gave him a shot in the side. Turning around, the other boy was shakily trying to hold up his gun with one hand and clutch his shoulder with the other. GoGo simply yanked the gun out of his hands and pressed her foot into his chest, pushing him backwards, where he fell to the ground.

Hiro, on the other hand, was not as fortunate. The other girl had tried to wipe her bleeding face, smearing half of it an ugly red. The man had now regained mobility and stood up, his big gun limp in his hand. The girl helped him walk as they approached the car. The woman was still holding the gun to Hiro's chin and now, his hands were twisted painfully behind his back and he felt like he was going to pass out at any moment now. _Pass out..._

( 0—0 )

GoGo could hear them coming. They were close from what she could make of it. She cocked her gun. She wasn't gonna let these guys take her down. She was the head of the Blacks, and she expected them to know that. She heard the wheezing of the man coming around the left side. But, of course, the woman with Hiro was coming around the right. Cutting her off. Well the woman was the threat now. Just as Hiro and his captor rounded the corner, GoGo whipped the gun up, pointing it at the woman. She froze, startled. But then she laughed. "Would you really do that when I have your boyfriend here?" she said, giving Hiro a shake. He gave a small moan.

GoGo glared back up at the woman. "He's _not_ my boyfriend," she hissed.

The woman chuckled. "Sure." She looked up at the girl and man who had rounded the corner. The girl gasped when she saw the two teenage boys lying on the ground. " _Sam_!" she exclaimed and fell to her knees, looking one over. She let out a breath. "He's still alive," she let out a grateful sigh.

"By my mercy," GoGo reminded, not bothering to turn around.

Then, Hiro swooned with a rasp. He collapsed to the ground, the woman letting him go as he fell, startled. He landed face first with a thud.

Everyone went still.

GoGo could've sworn she saw Hiro wink. She grabbed him by the shirt collar and dragged him behind her, propped against the Volvo, smirking. "Don't have him now," she said. Without another word, she pulled the trigger. The woman let out a scream as her shoulder exploded in red. Her white tank top was soon stained with dark blooms of blood, dripping down her side. Her gun fell from her hand, and GoGo quickly kicked it away. She turned around and made another shot, hitting the man once again in the shoulder. But the girl was quick. Running forward, she knocked GoGo to the ground, punching her in the face. GoGo seethed her teeth, her lip stinging where the girl's fist had collided. The two rolled around in the dust at each other's throats. GoGo kicked the girl in the shins, making her shriek. This girl seemed a little prissy, but underneath, she knew how to fight. The girl was winning, now on top of GoGo. With an attempt to hit the girl in the ribs, GoGo punched up into the girl's gut, making her wheeze and clutch her stomach. GoGo couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle.

Then the girl shot forward and grabbed GoGo throat. GoGo gasped as the girl squeezed. Tighter. And tighter. With a laugh, the girl added her other hand, making GoGo feel faint and dizzy. "I know who you are," she commented.

"Oh—really?" GoGo managed to wheeze.

"Mm hm." The girl nodded. "GoGo, head of the Blacks." She scoffed as she shook her head. "Now being choked by a first timer Red. Lame." She squeezed tighter. "Maybe, when I get back, they'll promote me to a patrol head already. Just because I took you down," she laughed. GoGo was straining for breath. The searing pain in her lungs, crying out for air, the girl's hot breath on her face. It was almost unbearable. GoGo wanted to scream, but no sound came out of her throat. The girl made a mocking face. "What a way to go."

There was a sickening crack as a gun whacked the girl's head. The two froze. The girls grip went stiff and she slowly fell off of GoGo, landing with moan. Behind her, stood a sight GoGo never could've thought to be so relieving.

The woman's gun gripped firmly in his hands, Hiro let out a pant, his hair plastered to his face with sweat. GoGo gasped for air and rubbed her sore neck, throwing the girl off of her. "The way you fought that girl, you looked so..." Hiro looked skyward as if looking for a word. " _Breath taking_ ," he grinned impishly.

"You wanna have a turn getting choked?" GoGo looked around them, the man and the woman still clutching their wounds. Only, the man was holding a small revolver, trying to aim straight at them. GoGo ran forward and ripped

the revolver out of his hand, kicking him in the face. He went sprawling, unconscious. Then she punched the woman unconscious. GoGo let out a breath and leaned against the car for support, looking around her at the bodies that lay around them. She let out a laugh. "YEAH!" she did a series a mad fist pumps, much like the type Hiro had seen Vanellope do. " _Five_ Reds, taken down by _two_ Blacks!" she exclaimed, looking over at Hiro's sorry shape. "Well, more like one and a half." She marched over to the car hood and let out a frustrated growl at the broken car. "The car's dead. Which means we have to find another one if we wanna get home." She walked over and confiscated the guns from the unconscious Reds. "Hiro, get up," she ordered. "We're gonna find a new car."

After the twenty-minute trek to the city ruins, Hiro and GoGo started to scout for good cars. Most were wrecks or broken down, or they worked but the wheels were busted. Hiro scanned an abandoned parking lot filled with cars. There was a navy-blue van, a white Honda, a gray-green minivan, a neon orange pickup, and a silver Hyundai. But none of them had keys, so there was no way they were going to work for them. Hiro kicked aside some junk, looking for any keys someone might have dropped. He didn't believe in luck, but he found a ring of keys, the one with buttons to lock and unlock from distances. He glanced over at GoGo. She nodded. Hiro pressed the lock, waiting for a beep of some kind. But there was just silence. He let out a disappointed breath. Wait...he pressed it again. There was a faint beep, coming somewhere down the street. With a hopeful look, GoGo and Hiro set off after the echo of the beep, leading them to a chance to get back home.

"Where's that stupid car?" GoGo spat. "I could curse." She gave a disgusted sigh when they hadn't found the car ten minutes later.

"No kidding," Hiro agreed. "My face feels like a sandpapered toad," he remarked as he touched his blood-stained face. He brought his fingers back with sticky, black blood. "Whoa. Gross."

"I don't care about your face; I care about that car!"

"Well, hold on." Hiro pressed the lock button twice, and another beep filled the air. It was much closer. "This way." Hiro pointed to the right.

After a good five-minute walk, they finally found the car. It was a fading blue van with the words _A &T heating company _in bold, round, white letters on the side. GoGo shrugged. "It's better than nothing. And it's better than Vanellope's car," she said as she opened the side door, slinging the guns into the back seat. Hiro sighed as he hopped into the front seat. He wasn't sure Vanellope would like a heating van, but this was better than none. GoGo hopped in next to him, slamming the door closed. Hiro reached forward to stick the key into the ignition when GoGo stopped his hand. "Wait." With a breath, GoGo bit her lip. "Look, I know I've been going way over the top. With Fred. And you. Fred really gets on my nerves, and you do too, but..." she licked her lips, her mouth feeling dry as paper, "I'm willing to make a deal. For what you did back there. Red girl would've done me in if you weren't there so..." she let out a breath, "When we get back, if you swear not to tell anyone, and I mean _anyone_ , about what happened out here, at least the part about me dragging you out, then I'll let you and Fred stay," she said hurriedly, getting it out in a puff. "And don't think this is because I like you. I don't. But...it's a thank you and a chance for me to return the favor for hitting that girl on the head and the water filter plans. To be honest, I was planning to kill you and build the filter by myself…but I can't read your bad handwriting, so you need to do it." GoGo let her clenched fist loose as she held up her hands. "There. I said it."

Hiro struggled for words, taken back by GoGo's sudden generosity. "Uh..." he started. Then he decided, that for Fred and his real acceptance into the gang, it was worth it, and there didn't have to any fancy speeches. He nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "I promise, I won't tell anyone. Not even Tadashi."

GoGo nodded. Then she grabbed the key's out of Hiro's hand. "Good," she said briskly. "Give me those keys. I don't wanna bump into another gang," she said and turned the car on, and, surprisingly, it still worked.

Hiro smirked. _That's the GoGo I know,_ he thought and chuckled under his breath.

GoGo pulled the car out and headed back. "Let's get outta here."


	15. Chapter XIV: Tales to Tell

He'd been standing there at the edge of the camp for over an hour. Just staring out into the vast open dusk. Waiting.

Sighing, Honey Lemon tucked a stray of blonde behind her ear, adjusting her glasses. Felix had let her off for the entire week because she had been such a help to him over the couple months, so it was nice to talk to the others and everything. But she hadn't quite gotten a chance with Tadashi. She didn't want to interrupt if he was thinking, but she was getting worried. Drawing in a nervous breath, Honey Lemon stepped forward and walked slowly over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Tadashi?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

Tadashi didn't turn as he exhaled. "No," he said simply.

Honey Lemon bit her lip. "Is it Hiro and GoGo?" she asked. "Because they haven't come back yet?"

This time, Tadashi look down at her. "They've been gone for the _entire day_. How is that not worrying?" He shook his head. "I shouldn't have let him go in the first place. Anything that has to do with GoGo is fishy." With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair. "What happened to them?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

" _No_ , I don't want to talk about it," Tadashi replied sternly.

Honey Lemon drew back a little. "Don't push me away, Tadashi. I know how it feels." She _could_ understand what he was feeling. "Does it have something to do with the Fred GoGo incident?"

Tadashi blinked. "No. This had nothing to do with Fred."

"I think it does," Honey Lemon pressed. "GoGo has been so mean to Fred, and she even tried to kill him, I mean, that's scary," she admitted. "It's more than scary. It's frightening. Thinking that our friend could've been killed for no reason, just because someone didn't like him or think he was useful...how is that not frightening?" She let out another breath. "And now, GoGo's sort of earned a reputation for this sort of thing. Everyone knows that. I do, you do, Jordan does, Ralph does, Felix does, even Vanellope knows that. And she's not afraid to admit it." Tadashi stared down at her, waiting for her to finish. "I think that because GoGo and your brother are alone out there...that you're afraid that she'll try to hurt him. And that if Hiro is caught unaware, he'll have no way to defend himself," Honey Lemon finished. Honestly, she half expected Tadashi to get mad.

But he didn't. Neither of them said anything. The first thing Honey Lemon thought was that she'd crossed the line. In her mind, she started to panic, knowing she couldn't take back her words. Offering up a silent prayer, she fidgeted with her hands, suddenly feeling like she couldn't let them hang at her sides, and clasped them behind her back. Her feet wanted to walk backwards, away from the now eerily silent Tadashi.

He finally let out a breath. "Yeah," he admitted quietly.

Honey Lemon contained an exaggerated breath of relief and let out a steady puff. Well, she knew she was right. She pursed her lips and sighed. "And I'm scared, too," she added. They both stared out over the open dusk, the following silence relieving. Then Tadashi chuckled. Startled, she looked up at him, she found him staring down at her, his brown eyes shining. She blinked. "What?"

Tadashi grinned. "I like being taller than you. You always wear pumps, so you're always taller than me. But now you wear flats, so I'm taller," he explained. "It's nothing. Sorry," he said and looked away, still grinning.

Honey gave him a look. "Well, I would be wearing pumps, it's just that pumps wouldn't be the best choice of footwear out here." She shook her head. "It's not a big deal, anyway," she said. "It's just pumps."

"It's a big deal to me," Tadashi smiled. "I always should be the taller one."

The two laughed as Honey gave Tadashi an affectionate hit over the head. When the chuckles had subdued, Honey let out a small breath, wiping her eyes. "It's almost 7:00. We should go eat," she suggested. Tadashi shook his head. Honey Lemon let out a huff. "Tadashi, you can't go without eating both lunch and dinner. Come on. The rest of us want to get a chance to talk to you. You've been silent almost the entire day."

Tadashi just shook his head and gave Honey a weak smile. "Tell the others I won't be able to get to them today. Okay?" he asked.

Honey Lemon knew that look before. She stopped. "You're gonna do something, aren't you?" she asked, pointing a finger at his chest.

"What makes you say that?" Tadashi asked innocently.

"The way your face turns a slight red and that look in your eyes." Honey Lemon gasped, holding her hands to her mouth. "You're gonna sneak out to go find Hiro, aren't you?" she asked in a low voice, her eyes narrowed. "That's it, isn't it? You're gonna go find Hiro. Right?" she asked as Tadashi brushed past her. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Tadashi let out a breath and placed his hands on his hips, his back to her. "I don't want you to tell the others. Please, just don't," he sighed.

"But Tadashi, you can't!" Honey protested. "Not alone! You might get hurt! And if anyone found out, GoGo would—"

"GoGo's not here to get me in trouble," Tadashi pointed out. "Besides, if I find Hiro, I'll probably find her, too." He turned around to face her, a grim look on his face. "I can't just leave Hiro out there, Honey. I can't. Especially not knowing what's happened to him. He could be hurt, or even _dead_ for all we know."

Honey bit her lip. "Okay, uh, I think you might be exaggerating at _dead._ I mean, I don't think GoGo would let him die," she said, holding out her hands.

"Unless she wanted him dead in the first place." Tadashi looked away. "I'm going," he exhaled softly. "He's my only brother. I can't. I can't lose him, too. You know," he said, gesturing to Honey. "You always feel a need to help people. That's why you fit in so well with Felix. You help people. You have this urge to make sure people are safe. But this isn't just a keep-people-safe urge. It's an older brother urge, especially after all we've been through. You—you're an only child. You know how I feel, but you don't understand. I have to go."

Honey Lemon opened her mouth to speak, then quickly shut it. She knew better. Tadashi shared one of Hiro's strong suits. Stubbornness. Only a dummy would argue with the Hamada brothers. But the gears in her head were still turning. She slowly nodded her head, turning away. "Okay. I won't tell them." She said as she walked back into the camp.

Okay, let Tadashi think he'd won. He hadn't, she knew that for sure. He couldn't go out alone. And Aunt Cass might not be here to stop him, but she wasn't going to let him get away with this. Not alone.

( 0—0 )

It was dusk already. Slamming her sore foot down on the pedal as hard as she could, and they were still miles away from the camp. GoGo glared at the dust plain that stretched before them. And they were low on gas. As in, _low._ This day couldn't get worse.

"It could be worse," Hiro coughed. Beside her, he was trying to clean himself up. Equipped with only a paper towel and a small bottle of some sort of liquid that he'd found in the glove compartment, he squeezed a drop onto the square of paper towel in his hand.

GoGo scoffed. "Easy for you to say. I mean, look at you!" she said, waving a hand at him. "You're practically dunked in blood. You've been in a big brawl with both me and the Reds, you've had a gun held to your head, you've been booted in face, and you've had the wind knocked out of you. All in one day. Of course, _it could be worse_." She swatted Hiro's hand. "Don't put that stuff on you. We don't know what it is."

Hiro looked at the small bottle he held. "Well, it doesn't seem to be bad," he said and took a whiff. "Though it smells horrible. Like perfume and hand sanitizer and cologne all wrapped in one. But it helps." He pulled down the sun visor, flipped up the mirror, and wiped the wet paper towel gently down his face. "Besides, if I look super bloody when we get back, then people will ask questions, right? And you don't want that."

GoGo merely said, "Hm," and stared at the road. The car let out a big sputter and jerked before continuing. "Actually, I think this could get worse for both of us," she said slowly. Hiro looked over at her, just as the car let out another series of sputters. Then, it stopped in place and the headlights died. They stood still for a minute, letting their situation sinking in. "And…we're out," GoGo concluded stiffly. She unlocked the car and kicked open her door with a slam. She stepped out, still glaring at the horizon. "Get out. We're walking." she strode around to the back seat and grabbed the guns, slinging them one by one over her shoulder clacking. "Hiro! Get your butt in gear! Come on! We don't have all day."

"More like one twelfths of the day," Hiro groaned glumly as he hauled himself out of the car. "I don't believe this. Stuck out here at dusk, with Cybugs, and almost twelve miles away from the camp. Unbelievable." He rested his hands on his hips. "What about the car?"

GoGo started walking. "We leave it. Now let's move," she ordered.

Hiro sighed. "You're the boss." Tying his leather jacket around his waist, he followed behind GoGo.

She set off at a rather clipping pace. She scolded Hiro whenever he fell behind or stopped for a breath. And the two had gone like this for two hours, almost all the time uphill. Then, the sun went down, cloaking them in a hot, dry, darkness. There were no stars, just the faintest glimmer of the moon shimmering through the clouds, letting them see the outline of their feet shuffling in front of them. Slogging on tirelessly.

Not.

Pain shot through her leg every time GoGo took a step. The aching was almost unbearable. But gritting her teeth, GoGo drove herself on. They must have made at least four or five miles. Maybe. That left about five to go. She turned around to see Hiro, lagging behind. She let out a panting breath and wiped the sweat from her brow. She was about to call for him to hurry up, but her voice was hoarse from panting and the dry air. She shook her head and turned back to the trek ahead of her. Ten steps later, she looked over her shoulder. About twenty feet behind, Hiro just stood there, his shoulders and chest heaving heavily. She let out a scowl. "Hiro! Move!"

Hiro made no move and just shook his head. "I can't," he called weakly.

"What?" GoGo asked, running back to him. It felt nice to go downhill.

"I said I _can't_ ," Hiro panted, his voice just as dry as hers. His face glistened with sweat and his hair was plastered to his face like someone had poured a bucket of water over his head. Only, the bucket would've been much more appreciated. He suddenly collapsed to his knees with a puff. "My legs. Hurt."

Hers did, too. But she rolled her eyes. "Just _woman up_."

Hiro shook his head and swallowed. "No. They ache. Really. Bad." He fell onto his back with a thud. "I can't walk anymore, GoGo." He shook his head. "I can't."

"Okay. Fine. Sit on your butt here and waste time," said GoGo, standing there as she crossed her arms. Truth be told, her legs were burning. But she wasn't going to admit it. Hiro looked like he was on the verge of death from what she could tell. Of course, he wasn't, but he really did look it.

"GoGo," Hiro started, "How far away are we?" he asked.

GoGo looked down at him, drumming her fingers on her arm. "I'm guessing about five or six miles away," she answered icily.

Hiro let out a pained moan as he squeezed his eyes shut. " _Five miles._ I'm not gonna make it," he groaned. "I have to stop."

GoGo threw her hands up exasperatedly. "Ucgh! You, you-you-you're just sitting here, complaining about your legs!" she yelled and kicked at the dust, panting, her face hot. Then she briskly sat down, her arms crossed as she let out a breath.

"This is. Your. Fault," Hiro said, his head lolling.

GoGo spun around, aghast. She held a hand to her chest. " _My_ fault?"

Hiro nodded. "If you weren't so...so mad about Fred or me...if you weren't so hard on people...like Fred. Me. Diana's sister. You wouldn't be like this." He licked his parched lips. "If you thought about what dragging out was like for others, you wouldn't be doing this. You wouldn't be dragging me out." He closed his eyes. "This is your fault," he reaffirmed and let out a breath.

GoGo stopped. "Who told—" _Vanellope._ GoGo thought. She looked away. Diana's sister. She thought about it long and hard. He had a point. No, a lot of points. She didn't really think about Diana when she dragged her sister out. She didn't really think about who it affected when she dragged anyone out. She only thought about herself. If she had killed Fred, it would've affected Hiro. Tadashi. Honey Lemon. Even Joey. She bit her lip.

"How would you like it if I dragged Vanellope out?" Hiro asked.

GoGo made no answer. Then, after a minute, she gritted her teeth. " _I'd hate you_ ," she answered truthfully and clenched her arms tightly in her hands. She wouldn't be like this. But because of her selfishness, she was. She dragged people out to their slow death by Cybugs. She was a monster. Wasabi was right. It was indirect murder. She was a murderer. Wasn't she? She thought about the people she'd dragged out. 28. 30, if she had done so with Hiro and Fred. She looked back at Hiro. She hated to admit she was wrong, especially with these types of matters. But with no one around, it didn't seem as bad. But it still felt like she was insensitive and a jerk to know she was wrong about this. Maybe being the leader of a gang was getting to her head. She licked her lips. "You're right," she nodded. "You're right," she said again, her throat tight. It felt easier the second time to say it.

Hiro let out a dry chuckle. "Heh...heh, heh,"

GoGo whirled around, eyes narrowed. "What?" she demanded. "I already humiliated myself by saying I was wrong. What's so funny?"

Hiro turned his head to peer at over the rise of his chest. "I... didn't think you'd...be...the type to admit...it." He let out another wheezy chuckle.

"You think that's funny?" GoGo missed. "Maybe things _could_ get worse for you. I dunno," GoGo threatened and held up a fist. "Stop laughing." She gave Hiro a little kick in the foot. "Shut up."

A distant screech pierced the air. The two froze. Even Hiro's heaving chest went still as he held his breath. A second screech reaffirmed the first. "Things...might get worse...for the both of us," Hiro said slowly.

"Wait, that doesn't make sense!" GoGo protested. "We're miles away from camp, but we're also miles away from the city ruins. What would they be doing all the way out here?" GoGo's brow furrowed. "Almost unbelievable," she muttered darkly.

"Well, you'd better believe it," Hiro coughed and propped himself up by the elbows. "Looks like we might have company."

( 0—0 )

Sliding the rifle over his shoulder and casting a glance outside for any watching eyes, Tadashi slunk out of the tent and disappeared into the shadows, avoiding the fireplaces and crowds. Pulling his dark green hood over his head, he ducked past a group of giggling teenage girls, talking about ice cream flavors and super cute guys. He blinked as someone passed him, accidentally shoving him. Making his way to the edge of the camp, he wondered how he was going to get Hiro, and probably GoGo back to the camp. Even though there was nobody around, a car would be too noticeable. Maybe a motorbike, but that would be for only two people. He needed room for three. He slowly approached the canopy, where the vehicles stood still, ready to be used. But which one? Tadashi bit his lip as he inspected what was there. Cars, motorbikes, scooters, but... "Okay," he said as he picked his way through. "Okay. Three people. Three people. What can hold three people?" he muttered.

"How about four?" said a voice behind him softly.

Tadashi straightened up and sighed. "Honey, no."

"Tadashi, you can't go alone. You know that," Honey Lemon persisted as she walked up to him, her pink bag full of medical tools bumping at her side. "And if Hiro and GoGo aren't back by now, then that probably means that one, if not both, is hurt somehow, which also means they need medical attention!" Honey pointed out. "I could help them if we found them. You know I could."

Tadashi held up a finger. " _If_ we found them," he clarified. "And I know you could. I don't doubt your ability. But Honey, there are Cybugs out there," Tadashi reasoned. "It's dangerous. I can't ask you to take this risk."

"That's fine." Honey Lemon held out her hands. "Because, you don't have to ask me. I'm coming anyway." She shrugged with a trying-to-be-strong grin.

Tadashi looked pained. "Honey, you can't come with me," he said again as he gripped her by the shoulders. "I would never forgive myself if you got hurt out there, just because you wanted to come with me," he said, looking her in the eye.

"I would never forgive myself if you found Hiro hurt, and because he wasn't cared for, he died," Honey Lemon said, her eyes shining. "And I can't let you go out there alone. Please. Let me go," she pleaded. "I don't want you to go alone."

Tadashi let out a slow breath, still holding Honey by the shoulders. He always had some sort of weakness to those green eyes, but he couldn't let her come. However, they both had points. If Hiro was hurt, he would need Honey Lemon's help. But if she came, she would vulnerable to any danger they might find, and he couldn't guarantee that he'd be there to protect her. He shook his head. "No, Honey. Not this time."

Honey stared at him, trying to keep from bursting out. "You don't think I can defend myself, don't you? You think I'm some sort of girly-girl who just flounces around like a princess and can't fight, don't you?" she asked, her eyes still wet, but now glaring up at him with defiance.

"No! No, Honey! T-t-that's not the reason!" Tadashi shook his head. "You have the wrong idea! I-i-it's just—"

"What?" Honey asked, breaking free from Tadashi's grasp and swiping at her eyes. "That I'm too weak? Or maybe it's just the fact that I wore pumps?"

"It has nothing to do with the pumps—"

"How do you think I kept myself alive out there?" Honey Lemon asked, pointing in the direction of the ruins. "How do you think I protected myself and Fred? Hiding? That wasn't all of it." She shook her head. "We were discovered sometimes. We had to fight. And I had _these_." She held up a blue ball in her clenched hand. "These balls are filled with chemical agents that can turn even _tungsten carbide_ into dust! It could reduce a Cybug to a pile of dust!" She stopped herself and drew in a breath. "But I'm not defenseless. That's the point," she said quickly and tucked the ball away, looking down. "I want to help Hiro. If he died because I wasn't there in time..." she trailed off. "Tadashi, please."

Tadashi was at a loss for words. They stood there for a moment, just staring at each other. He shook his head. "Honey, it wasn't that I thought you were defenseless. It's just..." he struggled for a way to put it. "I…I wasn't doubting you, I was doubting myself." Honey Lemon looked up and Tadashi looked away. "I…I don't...I'm afraid that _I_ don't have the ability to keep _you and Hiro_ safe. And GoGo. I know you could defend yourself, but...if something happened..." he sighed. "I'm not sure I would be able to." He looked down, ashamed to admit. "It wasn't the pumps."

It was Honey Lemon's turn to be at a loss for words. She blinked. "Tadashi..." she gently, reaching forward to place a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. And if something happened, I wouldn't blame you. In the spur of the moment, anything could happen," she said. Tadashi looked up at her. "But please, let me go with you. Please."

Tadashi and Honey Lemon looked at each other, Tadashi thinking hard. He reached up and held Honey's hand firmly. He drew in a long breath. "Okay," he said finally. "Alright. I'll let you come with me."

Honey's eyes lit up. "You will? Really? You will?" she asked.

"But please," Tadashi said seriously, "If we run into trouble...promise me you'll stay in the car. Or, whatever we go out in. Just stay out of it."

Honey nodded eagerly. "Alright. Okay, I promise. I _promise_."

Tadashi nodded finally. "Alright. Now what do you think we should go in? Remember, four people," he reminded, holding up four fingers.

Honey tapped her chin with her finger. "I like the red moped," she said. "It looks kinda big for two people. Plus, I like the look of that white and green helmet. Maybe Hiro could sit on your lap, and GoGo on mine. Think it'll work?"

( 0—0 )

Lying flat on their backs, it couldn't have been nicer. Hiro and GoGo had to lie down as straight as they could, which gave Hiro a breather without GoGo scolding him. He panted, still as sweaty as ever. They both still could hear the Cybugs screeches. GoGo looked like she was thinking rather hard with a frustrated look on her face, so Hiro decided to leave her alone for the moment. He had a few thoughts of his own anyway. "This doesn't make any sense," GoGo muttered. "What the _heck_ are they doing so far from the city? They wouldn't expect to find any prey all the way out here, would they?" GoGo let out a breath. "This is stupid," she growled.

"Well, lucky for them, there is prey out here. They just have to find it," Hiro stated, looking up at the sky as if he'd just said ''oh look, there's Orion.''

"Yeah, but how do they know that?" GoGo furrowed her brow, her mind racing. "And now the car's dead, we've nowhere to go, there's absolutely no way we're gonna out run them, and they'll see us if we try."

Hiro risked raising his head a little. He still couldn't see the Cybugs beyond a rise of sand, but he knew they were there. He laid his head back down again. "How far away do you think they are?" he asked. "Because if they're far away, we still might be able to get a head start at least. They would be too far away to see us."

GoGo looked over at him. "And I thought you wanted to have a break," she said in a mocking voice with a little snort.

Hiro shrugged. "Eh, you know, they say 'fear lends wings to the feet.'" There was a distant shriek. "And I've learned it's true," he gulped.

GoGo sat up, bidding Hiro to do the same and tried to look for the Cybugs. She turned back to him. Guess the coast was clear. "Okay. Crawl on your stomach until they see us. If they do, make a run in that direction." She pointed where the they were headed, the now revealed moon resting right above GoGo's finger. "Just pretend you're trying to run to the moon. Okay?"

"Or just pretend that hell is on your heels and that the devil is chasing you himself," Hiro offered brightly.

Another distant shriek. GoGo let out a breath. "We might not have to pretend that at all in a minute." She stood in a crouching position, looking like a spring ready to go off at any second. She mouthed the numbers to Hiro. _One. Two...three._

The sand dusted their shirts as they crawled. Hiro felt like a lizard, breathing in the sand. He coughed. But as all was going well, they heard a shriek and a ray of green light fell on them.

The two took off as fast as they could for the horizon. For a while, it actually worked. There was no devil on their heels. Hiro thought they might actually make it. Even though he knew GoGo was faster of the two of them. He could feel the pain jabbing at his legs as he pushed himself on. It almost felt like they were actually on fire and were about to crack. GoGo looked sort of the same way from what he could tell. Sweat dripped down their faces as they made a mad dash for the empty plain. Unfortunately, their success lasted for only two minutes. A series of sudden screeches announced the arrival of a horde of Cybugs. Both Hiro and GoGo could feel the sinking feeling inside their gut, even as the pressed on. It was almost like their feet were flying, fueled on the pain in their legs. But who cared? These Cybugs sounded angry...

He risked a glance back. Three of five Cybugs sported ghastly faces. Two women and a boy. He could feel a scream building up in his throat. But what good would it do to scream? Nothing. It would just tell GoGo that he'd looked back. And he didn't want to tell her what he saw. Or that they were gaining on them, either. In only about five seconds, they were almost on them. There was no way they were going to make it. It was when they were only ten feet away, that GoGo suddenly whirled around with a revolver in hand, pulling the trigger.

( 0—0 )

She felt a little awkward, her hands clasped around his waist and her chin on his shoulder so she could peer over, but Tadashi didn't seem to mind, so she wasn't going to let it bother her either. She glanced behind them, even though she knew she was going to see a dark, empty plain of dust, their trail lighted by the scooter's rear light. She let out a breath. "How far out are we going?" she asked.

Tadashi was silent for a moment. "We'll go as far as a five-mile radius from camp. If we don't find them, we'll head back," he said finally. There was a hint of regret in his voice. She was an only child, but she could imagine how it might feel to leave your only other sibling out alone in this place. The thought was scary. Tadashi let out a breath. "We'd better hurry." He revved the moped forward.

Honey Lemon could feel her bag thumping at her side. And inside, she knew there was a pistol. When it came to chemist bombs, she was down to four. She knew she would be need some other way to defend herself. Of course, if she told Tadashi, that would wind her back up at camp. But then again, they were so far out, he wouldn't be able to turn back now. If the event ever came that she might have to use it, she'd better tell him so he wouldn't freak out. "Hey, Tadashi?" she asked in a squeaky voice.

"Hm? What?" he asked.

"So, uh, what if I told you there was a, well...gun in my bag?"

Tadashi made no move. "What…you're saying you have one?" he asked.

She bit her lip. "Uh, maybe?"

"You can't even shoot."

"Well, you see..." she paused her twiddling and drew in a breath. "I'm... downtofourofmychemistballs." She waited for a reply.

She could feel Tadashi tense under her arms. "Honey..."

"I know! Okay! Okay, I know!" she cut him off quickly. "I know I don't know how to shoot, and I made you think I had more than four chemist balls, but I mean, if I told you, you'd leave me behind." With a small breath, she pursed her lips. "Sorry."

Tadashi sighed. "Honey, bringing a gun—something you don't know how to use—with you is not a good idea," he said.

"Um, this whole thing isn't a good idea in general."

Before Tadashi could argue, a screech echoed in the distance. Tadashi and Honey perked up. Now, Honey wasn't so sure she wanted to be out just now. "Uh oh."

"We need to find them," Tadashi breathed. "Now." Without another word, he pushed the moped to its highest. "Can't this go any faster?" he muttered.

Then they heard a gunshot.

( 0—0 )

His feet screamed 'run,' his head screamed 'stop.' He didn't know which one to listen to.

He sort of did this thing in between where he skittered to a stop while his feet moved. It was hard to explain. He let out a scream as GoGo was rammed into by a half-ton Cybug. There was a sickening crack as her revolver smacked it in the eye and she fell to the ground with the Cybug's teeth inches away from her neck. Hiro was planted to the ground. There were still four other Cybugs charging right at them, but his feet were super-glued to the dust. Out of the corner of his eyes, he knew something...purple, happened to GoGo's Cybug as she let out a cry of pain. But something in his head told him she was safe. However, there was still him and ten seconds before his imminent death, when salvation came on high.

In the form of a ball.

It landed right at his feet, exploding into a shield of pink. Hiro screamed as a set of munching bug jaws and squirming legs crashed through the pink. But it was enough to buy him a few seconds. He scrambled away on his back as fast as his weak legs could. There was a roar behind him, and a bright light. He turned around just in time to see a swirling cloud of dust billow around him. The light peered down at him, hurting his eyes that he squinted so hard.

It was a red moped.

On it were Tadashi and Honey Lemon.

He wanted to faint with relief at the sight of them, and he almost did, even though the moped was only ten inches away from crushing him. Honey took out a blue ball and threw it high over the pink shield of hardened chemicals, where it fell somewhere on top of a Cybug, hidden from view. There was a sudden decrease in noise. Two Cybugs crept around the pink, the third encased in blue, motionless, with the fourth's legs trapped in the blue chemicals, screeching for freedom. Carefully drawing out the last blue balls, Honey Lemon let out a breath, and pitched. Hiro watched it sail above his head.

It landed two feet short of its mark, who gave a shriek. Tadashi pulled a rifle off his back and started shooting. Hiro immediately recognized it as his own rifle. But what happened next was suddenly forgotten. In Hiro's scrambling attempt to jump to his feet, he'd hit his head on the handle of the moped. Hard. Hard enough to make his ears ring. And then, in Tadashi's attempt to shoot straight, he kicked Hiro in the head.

Accidents happen.

Hiro slowly slid to the ground, blacking out. He pressed his palm to his forehead, trying to stop the throbbing pain. Somewhere, he could barely hear Tadashi apologizing, and more gunshots. There were only a few things he could wrap his mind around.

 _Tadashi is here. Honey is here. I'm not dead. GoGo's not dead. I'm not dead. Tadashi is here. I'm here. I'm not dead. GoGo's not dead. Honey's not dead. Honey's here. My head hurts. He kicked me. Tadashi kicked me. Tadashi is here. He kicked me, but I'm not dead. I'm now...what? I...head hurts. What..._

( 0—0 )

 _Pain. There's pain. In my head. Yeah. In my head. Tadashi kicked me. Right? Tadashi kicked...wait. WAIT. TADASHI. What is..._

A jabbing pain flared in his head. With a groan, his eyes fluttered open. He felt horrible. And they were moving. He could feel the wind. But...his feet were touching something. He wasn't running some more, was he? No... Looking down, Hiro saw that there was something black beneath his feat. And he was sitting on something...oh, man, _soft._ Leather? Black leather. Was this...the moped? He was already sitting up, but he straightened himself out. His legs were never going to run for another year. He blinked. Ahead of him was black. And dust. He could see dust in a head light. Behind him was...he rolled his head up. "T...Tadashi?" he moaned.

His big brother looked down at him and kissed his nose. "Hey, bonehead."

"What..." Hiro realized that he was sitting on Tadashi lap. And he must have been sleeping, or...no. No, unconscious. Tadashi kicked him, right? "Tadashi?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"You kicked me."

There was a moment of empty silence. Then, Tadashi couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Sorry. I didn't mean to."

"You _kicked_ me."

"I'm sorry Hiro. I wasn't watching."

"Ugh," Hiro moaned in disgust as he looked out over the empty plain of sand again, even though there was nothing to see. "How long have I been...out?"

"About an hour," Tadashi answered.

"Where's, Honey?"

"I'm right here, Hiro," Honey said. Hiro then realized that he could feel her thin hands clasped around Tadashi. She playfully poked into his back. He shifted his position. "Is GoGo...here?"

"Yeah," Honey replied again. An angry moan wafted from behind Tadashi.

"And the Cybugs. What happened with the Cybugs?"

There was a moment of silence. "They're gone. We took care of them," Tadashi let out a breath. "But when we get back, you've got some tales to tell."

"What do you mean?" Hiro asked.

"I mean, what were you and GoGo doing all the way out there, huh? You've been gone for pretty much the whole day, and I've been worried sick."

Hiro let out a laugh. "It's nice to know someone missed me." He looked ahead, just as the gang camp rose into view. He smiled. "I'll tell you the whole thing when we get back," he chuckled. "It's quite a story." _I'll just leave out the dragging-out part._

"Well then, I'm sure Vanellope and Diana and Jordan and the others will be wanting to hear it," Tadashi guessed. "Is it interesting?" he asked smugly.

Hiro laughed and sighed. "It is _beyond_ interesting."


	16. Chapter XV: Dust Storm

It'd been three months. Fred no longer worked in the kitchen, but held a place washing clothes. He didn't mind _too_ terribly, but he and Joey still got together and made private concoctions every now and then. Hiro and Ralph found a new car for Vanellope. A silver suburban. As a thank you, Vanellope taught him how to drive. Diana and Tadashi had adjusted into their job, while Wasabi and Fred had actually started talking. It was really surprising. Calhoun had decided that he wasn't the best shooter, but he was good enough. His sessions had ended. GoGo had put him in charge of the water filter and once it was complete, their water shortage ended. Ralph gave updates, Jordan told jokes, Francis was there to talk to, and Cadence smiled. And Taffyta was just as annoying as ever. She still couldn't decide between Hiro or Francis. In a nutshell, things began to settle into normality.

Almost.

Vanellope knew one of her traits was curiosity, but she'd never known herself to be this curious. And persistent. Whenever she tried to engage Tadashi in a conversation of where the Cybugs came from, he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't know the answer. Which she found disturbing. Very disturbing, for someone who's supposedly dissected a Cybug. And if he'd known, wouldn't Hiro also? Sometimes, she just wanted to scream with frustration. But she had given herself a condition to keep this from going too far. If she knew nobody who had answers, she'd stop. Plus, she should respect GoGo's decisions. But she knew herself to be very deviant from her sister.

The sun was up, but it was nice outside. It was weather that called for no hoodies, so she took hers off. It felt nice to have the breeze flowing over her bare arms. Vanellope let out a breath and tapped her chin. If her timing was correct, which she was sure it was, Tadashi should get back about this time. There he was. Vanellope ran up to him. "Tadashi! Wait up."

He turned around. "Hey, Vanellope."

"Hey. I got a question." Vanellope tried it one more time, easing into it gradually. She let out a breath. "Hey, so um, remember that Cybug you dissected? Right? Did you see anything, like...um, maybe where it came from?"

Unfortunately, she was not good at easing into delicate topics. Tadashi instantly narrowed his eyes. "Vanellope, I already told you. I don't know. This is the fourth time you've asked me. This month."

Vanellope chuckled nervously. "But, you _have_ to have seen something! You know, like..." She struggled for an example.

Tadashi let out a sigh and threw his hands up into the air. "Vanellope, if I had an answer, I swear, I would tell you. But I don't. And I'm sorry. I don't know where the Cybugs came from. I promise, if I find something that might help, I'll tell you." Tadashi took in a breath. "Is that all?"

Vanellope could feel her hands itching to clench into fists as she let out a growl. She knew he wasn't, and she was angry at herself for even considering the thought, but she wanted to make sure he wasn't hiding anything. "How does a Cybugs power itself? Engine? Some power-source?"

Tadashi stopped. "Uh...I... think they used...uh...an engine..." He trailed off.

"Then how does it move its legs?"

"Ah... I..." Once he realized what she was getting at, Tadashi sighed.

Vanellope glance up at him sideways. "Did you really dissect a Cybug?" she asked him in a quiet voice, her hands clasped behind her back.

There was only silence. "'Dissect' is stretching it a little..." Tadashi stopped. He knew Vanellope wasn't buying it. She still looked up at him, waiting for the truth. He sighed. "No," he answered finally. "No. Dissect? No. No, I haven't. I glanced inside one that had busted open, but I never dissected _anything._ I shouldn't even be in here." He looked around them. "If GoGo knew, then she'd probably...I don't know." He rubbed his neck and glanced down at Vanellope nervously.

"I won't tell anyone. Cross my heart and hope to fry, stick a cupcake in my eye," Vanellope promised, crossing her heart. "Your secret is safe with me," she nodded, sullen. "But...you really don't know anything, do you?" she prodded.

Tadashi gave a reluctant nod. "If you tell anyone, I'm dead."

Vanellope nodded. "Okay. I'll leave you alone, then." She waved and ran off.

So Tadashi _didn't_ know anything, but she could see why Hiro lied. She wouldn't want to be separated either. But GoGo had changed since then. The last time anyone heard of a drag-out, it was Fred. And it had been almost three months. No drag-outs. It was almost a miracle. Hiro had told her the story countless times, but she could tell he was leaving something out. Probably one of GoGo's rotten deals. Speaking of Hiro, there he was now. She waved her arms, trying to catch his attention. He was talking to his patrol leader, Wasabi. He saw her waving, and held up a finger, gesturing for her to wait. She watched as the two nodded, the man clamping Hiro on the shoulder before leaving. He ran over. Apparently, he'd gotten the same message from the weather. No jackets. He looked good in red. She shook her head. Maybe some of Taffyta's blabber was getting to her. "Uh, hi," she grinned as he came over.

"Hey." He rubbed his neck. "Is... GoGo by the vehicle tent?" he asked.

Vanellope let the air out of her cheeks. "Uh, yeah. I think she said she was going there," she said slowly. "Is there some reason you want to see her?"

Hiro looked around. "Uh...yeah. I think so. Wasabi just told me that she wants to see me. Like, right now. So..." He looked around again. "I'm going to walk around with you a bit before I head over. I'm a little nervous."

"Ach, you're a charmer. If anyone should be nervous, it's GoGo," Vanellope said quickly and set off into the camp. "I need to stop by Felix. Cadence got a flu, and then it went to Taffyta, and then Joey got it, and it got really messy from there. Cadence is fine, though. Felix wants me to take something to Joey and Taffyta, because she still says she has the flu. But I think she's playing hooky," she explained and set off at a clipping pace. She looked up at Hiro. He was getting taller. She looked down at her shoes, her face growing hot. Gosh, what was wrong with her today? First, he looks good in red, then he's tall now...

"Hey."

Vanellope blinked and turned to Hiro. Only he wasn't there. She looked behind her to see him smirking. "What?" she asked

He jerked a thumb at Felix's canopy. "...you passed it."

Vanellope opened her mouth to speak. "Oh," she chuckled. "Whoops."

Hiro pushed the tent flap back to let Vanellope in. Strangely, inside was Calhoun. Strange because Calhoun didn't get hurt often. Yet there she was, sitting in a chair with her foot propped up on a box. Felix stood in front of her, treating her foot. Only, he looked really dreamy.

Felix didn't look dreamy when he worked.

Vanellope and Hiro stopped in the tent flap and watched as he gingerly pressed her ankle. With the dreamy look in his eyes the whole while. "Well, my lady, it's only a twisted ankle. It should be fine in a few days. Nothing can beat _you_ up." he said and smiled at her sweetly. And very exaggerated, as he handed her a small cloth filled with ice.

Calhoun pressed it to her ankle, trying to ignore Felix's obvious flattery. She glanced at him. "Your face is red. Want to go put some ice on it?" she asked coldly.

"Oh, that's just the honey glow on my cheeks," he chuckled dreamily.

Hiro and Vanellope looked over at each other, disgusted.

"Well." Calhoun stood up quickly. "At least it's not something serious," she said and got up from her seat. Felix held out his arms, as if ready to catch her if she fell. Like he would be able to stop her fall being that short. Calhoun curtly brushed past Hiro and Vanellope with the Felix staring after her. The two moved inside after the Calhoun passed.

Felix sighed. "Oh. She's one dynamite gal," he sighed again.

Hiro took a step back.

"Felix, really. I mean, she's too..." Vanellope struggled for a way to put it. "She's out of your league," she said. "I mean, she's really cold."

"But underneath, I know she has a soft spot," Felix persisted.

"Yeah, and it's a heart of ice," Hiro added

"And I intend to win that heart of ice one day," Felix declared. He snapped back to himself. "Did you come for the flu medicine?" he asked. "Here." Felix dropped in her hand three little canisters, filled with a red syrup that smelled sickly like cherries. Vanellope crinkled her nose.

"I'm gonna go find GoGo now," Hiro called and jerked a thumb outside.

Vanellope nodded. "Sure," she said slowly, tucking the canisters into her pockets. "You go. Don't be late."

Hiro pushed past the tent flap, deciding to jog over to the vehicle tent. Panting, he found GoGo leaning against Vanellope's suburban. She popped a gum bubble when she saw him. "So you made it," she concluded with a nod.

"Yeah, but you didn't give me directions."

"Exactly, Hiro. Exactly." GoGo shrugged off her leather jacket and slung it over her shoulder. "So. How have you been doing on patrols? I hear Wasabi has given you praise." She raised her eyebrows.

Hiro ducked his head, turning red. "Tell him I said thanks."

"He's says you're trustworthy, you don't run off, and you follow the rules."

Hiro was still silent. Why was she telling him all this?

"Oh. And he said that you're helpful." She picked some grit out from beneath her nails. "You wanna know what I see in you?" she asked slowly, looking up at him.

Hiro looked at her, waiting, inwardly expecting something like _rude_ or _impatient_.

GoGo lowered her hands. "I think that you stand your ground, and you're not afraid to do so. You're very resourceful and smart, but we both know that. You're committed, you want to help others, you're risky, but you aren't afraid of challenges or doing the right thing." GoGo looked down at him. "And I find those traits the ones of a born leader."

Hiro looked down again since he knew his face was red, and inside, he was glowing with pride. "Thanks, but...you might be exaggerating a little bit," he said modestly, rubbing his neck. "I'm not really a leader." He was feeling embarrassed. He chuckled. "Heh, heh,"

"What?" GoGo asked.

"This doesn't sound like you," he shrugged.

GoGo blinked. "You're right. It doesn't. So let me rephrase all of that: you've got gut," she sniffed. "And I think you're ready."

"Ready for what?"

He watched as GoGo pulled out another black wristband. He gulped nervously. She looked it over and handed it to Hiro. "Take it."

Hiro reached forward and held it. "Why do I get another one?" he asked.

"I'm promoting you to patrol head."

Hiro blinked in surprise. "What? Wait, really? Why?"

GoGo sighed. " _And_ you're inquisitive. But that trait I just find annoying." She popped a bubble. "Because you've worked hard around here, and thanks to the water filter you created, we don't have to ration water anymore. You've changed a lot here," she sniffed again. "But you get the point," she said and walked off.

"Wait! You're being serious?" Hiro asked cautiously.

GoGo turned around. "Hiro, _I'm_ serious. Oh, by the way, tomorrow, I want you to lead a patrol at 2:00." And then she walked away.

( 0—0 )

 _Take this easy. Treat it casually. Whatever._ Hiro let out a breath and pushed into Diana's tent. As usual, a light hung from the top of the tent, which shone down on tables crammed with test tubes, slides, microscopes, tweezers, paper towels, and glass jars filled with sloshy, way-too-old mud. Hiro wondered why she would need a pickle jar full of mud with her. Diana wasn't there. But Tadashi was.

Hiro leaned on a table. "Hey."

Tadashi looked up from a chart and smiled. "Hi. Sorry I don't have a place for you to sit right now." He gestured to where Di's sitting stool was covered with a box of glass bottles.

"What's that?" he asked, nodding at the chart.

Tadashi sighed. "Diana is sort of freaking out, so she charted the results of the mud organisms of each day she put something new inside the jar. She wants me to categorize all the results. That's what I'm doing now, but I'm having trouble reading her handwriting and looking past the mud splotches."

Hiro sniffed and twiddled his thumbs. " _I got promoted to patrol head_. Oh, by the way, your shoelace is untied. Did you know that Taffyta has the flu?"

"What?" Tadashi jumped. "GoGo actually...oh my gosh, Hiro, that's great! That's _great_ news!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"What, Taffyta's flu?"

"NO! Your promotion, Hiro! I knew you could do it!" Tadashi ruffled Hiro's hair and they two clapped their hands together twice before doing a fist bump. Tadashi sat down. "Hiro, that's...that's really awesome!" he let out a breath. "Well, now you can try to find Aunt Cass and Baymax now, right?" Tadashi asked.

Hiro made no move.

Tadashi's brow furrowed. "Hiro? Aunt Cass and Baymax, right?"

Hiro shook his head and sighed. "Tadashi, it's been, like, almost three months. We've seen nothing. Do you really think they're out there?" he shrugged doubtfully.

Tadashi blinked in surprise. "Hiro, I thought this was the whole reason for joining the Blacks. Find Cass and Baymax. Don't you remember? We were going to find them? Hiro, you remember that?"

Letting out a breath, Hiro looked at his hands. "Tadashi..." he started, "Well, yeah, I remember...but seriously, Tadashi. Let's be real. Three months, there's no way." He shook his head sadly. "There's really no reason to look for them. They're…" he shrugged, leaving the rest unsaid.

Tadashi froze. Of all the people saying that, Hiro was never even on the list. "Hey." He grabbed Hiro by the shoulder. "Look at me. They. Are Still. Out. There. You wanted to find them so bad. That was your main goal. What do you mean they're gone?" he asked in a low voice. "I know they're still out there."

"Oh, come on!" Hiro threw off Tadashi's grip. "Be real! All that talk about them being alive, that _mushy crap_ , that was just because you didn't want to believe they were gone. _Admit it_. I mean, I know _I_ didn't want to believe it. But we should accept that they're _gone_." Hiro ran his fingers through his hair exasperatedly.

Tadashi pointed a finger at him. "You know what I think?"

"It doesn't _matter_ what you think! There's no use denying the truth."

"The truth? The _truth_? Hiro! HEY! You want the truth?"

" _Yeah_ , I want the truth!" Hiro spat back.

Tadashi stared his brother down menacingly, and Hiro stared back. "The truth is we don't know anything," Tadashi answered. "Not until we see it."

"No, Tadashi, they're gone! Why are you so persistent?"

"Because I _know_ that they are _still out there_!" Tadashi yelled. Of all the people to believe they were dead, Hiro. He was mad at the thought. "And I don't care _what_ you think!"

"FINE! Fine! I don't care! Because I don't care _what_ you believe." Hiro threw up his hands. "What is it going to take to make you see? It's impossible! Absolutely not happening!" he stopped. "Tadashi. They're gone," he added in a softer tone.

"Get out!" Tadashi exploded. "Just _shut up_ and _get out_!" He fell back into his seat. He turned the chair around.

Hiro stopped, staring at the back of Tadashi's chair. The silence was deafening. Hiro opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. He wanted to suck those words back into his mouth. He wanted to go ten minutes back into the past and start this over again. If only he had just said a "Yeah, okay, sure" and left it at that. If only he hadn't told him at all.

"You promised," Tadashi hissed.

Hiro made no move.

 _Bring them back, Hiro._

 _I will._

 _I promise._

Hiro felt his eyes well with tears. His throat tightened and he let out a shaky breath. He looked down at the black wristband, still clenched in his hand, which suddenly felt a lot heavier than it was. Still, he slid it over his other wrist and left the tent with a flourish, not bothering to look back.

Tadashi did. As Hiro left the tent, Tadashi turned around slowly, staring at the space where he had stood not a minute before. It was empty.

( 0—0 )

It was a cold night. Not the kind that makes your skin break out in goosebumps. A cold lonely. Hiro hadn't seen Tadashi for the rest of the day until evening. When he did, Tadashi was already changed and in bed. Hiro wanted to say something, but didn't. It was hard to sleep.

But come 2:00, he was ready and his patrol was picked out. Ralph, Vanellope, Francis, Jordan, and Wasabi, to supervise. He'd gotten geared up, his rifle on his back and his jacket on his shoulders. He glanced back at Tadashi, who had come to see him off. But it was more like just being there to be there. His face was still and he said nothing. Hiro hated to leave Tadashi like that. With a breath, he looked up at his brother, who was staring down at the ground next to him. Not him. _He must be really mad._ Hiro thought. And he couldn't blame him. He bit his lip, wanting to say something, but he knew it wouldn't help. "Hey," he said softly. "Um, I'm gonna go now."

Tadashi just blinked.

Hiro looked down. He just wanted to yell ''SAY SOMETHING!'' in Tadashi face, but he restrained himself, though he was itching to scream. He just wished he would say something. He could say _I don't want to speak to you_ for all he cared. At least he would've said something. Then Hiro reached forward and wrapped his arms around Tadashi's neck, trying to breath, even though his throat tensed in anger and humiliation.

Then, Hiro could feel his heart lurch as Tadashi's arms slowly folded around him, squeezing tightly. It was a little hard to breathe, but he didn't care. "Love you," Tadashi said softly.

THERE…there. He had actually said something. Hiro suddenly felt like his heart stopped. He gulped. "Love you, too," he squeezed back, fighting his manly pride, even though it had already been broken.

"Stay safe." Tadashi slowly let go of Hiro.

With a little breath, Hiro pulled away and nodded. They slowly hit their hands together twice and followed up with a fist bump. "Wish me luck."

And that was it. Hiro ran for the vehicle tent, where he found his patrol, waiting for him at Wasabi's jeep. Jordan crossed his arms. "There you are! We were starting to think you chickened out! No I'm joking."

"Ready?" Wasabi asked, giving a nod at Hiro.

Hiro slowly emptied the air from his cheeks. "Nervous, but ready."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Vanellope stopped them. "This is Hiro's first patrol, guys, we should do some sort of kick off, or something. I mean, gadoy."

"What do you mean, kick off?" Francis furrowed his brow.

"I mean," Vanellope gave a groovy shrug, "something like a cheer, you know? Okay. Everyone in!" She stuck her hand out, and the others, laughing, stuck their hands in as well, Ralph's taking up almost all the room. "Alright," Vanellope started. "This is Hiro's _very first_ patrol. This is serious, but it's also an achievement. He's made it to a patrol head at age fourteen. He's made it past various challenges, and he's—"

"Please, no speeches?" Hiro protested. "You don't like them."

Vanellope huffed. "I was lying. Fine. Okay, 'Hiro Hamada' on three, got it?" Vanellope mouthed the words. _One. Two. Three._ " _HIRO HAMADA_!" they all cheered. It was deafening since Jordan bent back, knees at an angle, head thrown towards the sky, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Hiro winced and clapped his hands. "Okay. In the jeep, everybody. C'mon!" he waited for everyone to finish high-fiving and fist bumping him.

"Shot gun!" Jordan called quickly.

"Dude, come on!" Francis protested grumpily. "You just stole my destiny!"

His com crackled. " _Hiro? You haven't left yet, have you?_ " Diana asked.

Hiro took the com. "No, you caught us just in time. What is it?"

" _Oh, thank goodness. Okay. Hiro, according to my weather predictions, there's an 85% chance of a dust storm out there. Be careful._ "

"Dust storm?" Hiro furrowed his brow.

" _Yeah. I'm sure about it this time. Any minute now, Cadence should be there with some helmets. I tried to get Taffyta to do it, but you know how she is. Claims she has the flu._ " Diana gave a static snort.

"Helmets? What about helmets?" Hiro asked.

" _Well, you see, we didn't tell you because dust storms are rare. I mean, rare. It only happened one other time before you got here. After that, we had these helmets, since last time, everybody's eyes got so crusted with sand. Seriously, be careful._ "

"Will do. Thanks. I see Cadence now." Hiro waved at the girl coming over with a bag over her shoulder, her green hair shimmering in the sun.

" _Okay. Take care. Bye bye._ " The com went out.

Once they were in the car and Cadence had given them the bag with the black helmets inside, Hiro offered the wheel to Wasabi. Wasabi shook his head. "This is your first patrol. I hear Vanellope's been giving you lessons," he said, glancing into the trunk, where Vanellope crouched with Francis to give Ralph room, since the giant took up two spaces. He handed the key to Hiro. "You drive."

Hiro let out a breath. "Okay." He slowly stepped into the driver's side and stuck the key into the ignition, rattling the jeep to life. He gripped the leather-covered wheel and pulled the car out into the empty plain of sand, toward the ruins. "Okay, Jordan!" he said. "What are we looking for today?"

Jordan unfolded a piece of paper. "Uh, okay. Uh." He read over the paper slowly. "Uh, bub, bub, bub, bub, bub...sorry, it's really sloppy. Uh...I think it says medical supplies, spare cloth, and ammunition, if we can find it."

The cloth must be for repairing some tents that the Reds totaled when they tried to steal water from them. The filter was great, but it unbalanced the source of water out here. "Okay. Vanellope, you heard that, right?"

"Yep."

"When do you think we'll get back?"

Vanellope drew out little maps and numbers in the air. "Somewhere between 2:55 to 3:10, if we go for the ammunition."

"What about without?"

Vanellope did more math. "2:30 to 3:00."

Hiro nodded. "That's more like it. If we have extra time, we'll try."

When they did reach the ruins, they quickly started for the batteries. Hiro was surprised that he wasn't that nervous to be out here that much. Except for the thought of the little girl in the magenta dress...he pushed that away. But the others were really helpful. Vanellope kept them moving, Francis lead the way, Jordan held the list, Ralph helped them over obstacles, and Hiro held it all together. The others responded to his authority, and didn't question. Most of the time. Maybe GoGo was right about him being a leader. He liked and disliked that at the same time. He wasn't sure. They found a few boxes of band aids, cold packs, and fever medicine, and headed back for the jeep.

"Okay, next is batteries," Jordan announced.

"Well, we've pretty much emptied the corner store, so where are we going to check now?" Francis asked. "I only got mine from there."

Hiro licked his lips. "Um, don't tell my brother, okay?" he glanced around at them, making sure they all nodded. "I went to bot fights, and I need batteries for my controller. I bought them at this store, but it's a bit of a walk from here."

" _You_ went to bot fights?" Jordan gasped, shocked. "Okay, I can actually see that."

"They're illegal!" Wasabi protested.

"Well, betting on bot fights are illegal." Hiro held up a finger.

"Did you ever win?" Vanellope asked, intrigued.

"I won…all the time." Hiro again held a finger to his lips. He shook his head. "Batteries. We're looking for batteries. Let's get to the jeep first. Then we'll talk about batteries." They got to the jeep, setting the stuff in the trunk.

Ralph looked up. "Hey guys? It's getting kind of windy. I'm going to take up Di's warning about that storm." he shielded his eyes.

Hiro could feel the wind blowing through his hair. "I think you're right. Ralph, crack out the helmets." Ralph opened the bag and handed a helmet to everyone, ending with Hiro. He looked it over. Shiny obsidian, black visor, and thick spike on the top, pointing backwards. He furrowed his brow at it. He noticed that Wasabi had held his by the two, long straps on the bottom, sort of slinging it over his shoulder. Hiro did the same.

Jordan stuck his helmet on and growled. "I'm so scary! No, not really." He pulled the helmet off and tucked it under his arm.

"How does this work?" Francis asked, turning it around in his hands.

"There are straps that you can hold it. Like Hiro," Wasabi explained, pointing at him. "He has it. And then there's a clamp-like thing in the front. You pull it apart so you can slip it on, and once you do, you push the clamp close around your chin. Like this." Wasabi demonstrated and pulled the helmet over his head, closing the clamp. He opened the clamp and took it off. "Like that."

"Okay." Ralph tried it. "Whoa. This looks cool," he remarked.

Hiro laughed. "I can't even see your face."

"You know..." Jordan started slowly, his voice muffled through the helmet he'd put back on, "You're gonna be in for quite a hero's welcome when we get back, Hiro," he said. "I almost can't wait."

"Wait. Why?" Hiro asked.

Jordan slid the helmet off to reveal an impish grin. "The young patrol heads are a hit with the _ladies_." He wiggled his eyebrows as Hiro gulped nervously. "I already know somebody that's hooked on you, and it isn't Taffyta."

Hiro's face turned a brilliant crimson and Vanellope scoffed. Hiro rubbed the back of his neck. "I dunno," he started. "I don't have a six pack or knotted muscles," he said, trying to kill the mood.

"Are you kidding me?" Francis exclaimed. "Look at you! You're practically a walking dream. Straight out of the magazines!"

Hiro clutched at his shoulders, not very flattered.

"They're gonna love you. I bet there's gonna be a flock when we get back." Jordan let out a giddy laugh at the thought.

"We should go," Vanellope suggested. "If we wanna make it back in time."

"We _should_. Let's go," Hiro said quickly. "The store's this way. I..." he let out a breath and rubbed his temples, "I don't remember what it's called. Something's stop and shop, I think? All I know is that they had low prices."

They started the trek to the store. "Vanellope?" Hiro asked.

"Yeah?" she turned around to face him.

"Okay." he started. "So, a while ago, I asked you if anyone knew where the Cybugs had come from. Right?" Vanellope nodded. "The Cybug eggs we found in the factory, it sprang the question back to me. I started wondering where _did_ Cybugs come from? In general, right? And it occurred to me that GoGo has never encouraged any of us in finding the Cybugs," he exhaled. "And I don't know why."

Vanellope didn't say anything, her brow was furrowed, and she was thinking hard. "You know, I have, too, but I've never pieced GoGo into it. But it..." She stopped.

Hiro had to admit, he was glad she was starting to think about this. No one else around here had. It looked like it was finally dawning on Vanellope that there was something bigger going on, and she was starting to wonder. "Okay. Have you done any digging?" he asked.

She shook her head and laughed. "Hiro, we're two teenagers. Even if we did find something, what could we do?" she shrugged.

Hiro stopped, taken back. He went silent for the rest of the walk and didn't bring it up again.

When they finally stood in front of the store, which was sort of small, they pushed their way inside and found the batteries, grabbing a few other things along the way, including six granola bars, one for each of them. They sat on the curb, as they ate their bars, chocolate chip and coconut to be exact, and discussed times when they had bad experiences at the dentist.

"This is when I was five," Francis held up five fingers. "I had two loose teeth, and the dentist asked me if I wanted them to come out. I said no, but they asked my mom, and she said yes. So they tried to take them out. And they knew the root was already weak, so they didn't use Novocain. Turns out they were wrong, and they ripped it. I screamed bloody murder when they realized their mistake. My gums were, like, gushing blood. I got three lollipops afterward, like some sort of apology." Francis shuddered. "Man, that hurt, like, insane."

"What about the other tooth?" Ralph asked. "Did they use Novocain? Oh crud, I got chocolate all over my hands," he muttered.

"Oh yeah. They did," Francis nodded.

"Oh. Okay, so I have this split in my teeth and an overbite," Hiro explained. "My Aunt wanted me to get braces, she actually did make me get braces to fix my teeth when I was what? Five? Maybe six. Or seven. I think I was seven."

"Then why are they still like that?" Vanellope asked.

"Because I spent six hours in the bathroom taking out my braces and destroying them with a drill," Hiro explained casually. "She flipped when she found them stuffed under my pillow, I was banned from TV and video games for a month." Hiro shook his head. "But she didn't get me braces again."

"There was this time I went to the dentist because I had, like, six cavities when I was five," Vanellope piped up. "But when the dentist wanted me to open my mouth, I didn't open it up enough, but I was opening it as far as I could, but the dentist got mad. Because he was a total jerk, he actually _cut_ my mouth open more so it would open wider," she said, aghast.

"WHAT?!" Francis gaped, astonished.

"Yeah. Just at the corners, a little bit. I started to cry, like, really loud. Then he put his hand over my mouth and said _stop crying_." She imitated the dentist in a deep voice. "Mom and GoGo heard me and came in. I never went to that dentist again. It was _not_ kid friendly."

"Are dentist even aloud to do that?" Hiro asked.

"I don't even know," she shrugged. "I wouldn't _think_ so."

"You have anything, Jordan? You've said zip this whole time," Ralph asked, nudging him.

Jordan shook his head.

"Come on. There must be something."

Jordan let out a breath. "If there is something, I won't remember it," He mumbled.

"Wait. Why?" Francis asked.

Jordan gritted his teeth. "I have amnesia."

Everyone stopped, taken aback.

"I don't remember anything except for me waking up on the street when Diana found me. That's all," he sighed forlornly. When he realized everyone was staring, he shook his head. "Sorry, dude. I shouldn't have snapped like that."

"It's okay," Ralph nodded. "I didn't know."

"That's because only Diana and I knew. Well, until now." Jordan hunched over. "I mean, all of you have something that you remember. Something you can tell others and laugh over. I don't have anything. I don't...I don't even remember if I was an orphan, if I had a family, or a dog, or anything. So that's why Diana is sort like a mom to me. She takes care of me, I guess." He hugged his elbows. "Yeah. Now you know. I have amnesia," he said quietly. "I think it's sort of why I'm so happy and jokey all the time, so that people won't guess or try to dig up my past. I...it makes me uncomfortable."

Hiro instantly felt awful. He couldn't even imagine himself in his shoes. What would it be like to forget Aunt Cass or Tadashi and live his life never even knowing? He bit his lip, playing the thought over and over in his head. "We should head back," he finally stood up, just as a strong gust of wind hit them. He was shocked at how strong the force of wind was. It almost made him lose his balance as he wobbled on his feet.

The others didn't need to be told twice. They sprang up and shouldered their bag of batteries and junk and set out. It hadn't been three minutes when the air suddenly became a lot grittier. Hiro growled, "Guys, put on the helmets." Everybody was already ahead of him. Hiro took the helmet and slid it over his head, tugging the clamp over his chin. His vision seemed a little darker inside the helmet, possibly due to the tinted visor. But outside, though he could still see everything perfectly, it was getting harder and harder to see ahead of him. The sand was billowing around them, whipping against their clothes and biting their skin. Hiro fumbled with the zipper of his jacket and zipped it up as fast as he could. The others were trying to do the same. "Guys, we need to head back to the jeep, now!" Hiro ordered.

"No no, I like this weather," Jordan said sarcastically, though his tone of voice was getting quieter as the winds picked up.

"This isn't the time to joke around." Ralph hugged his unprotected arms, trying to tug the short sleeves of his plaid button down over his elbows. "But where is the jeep?" he asked.

They looked around and were met with a swirling swarm of dull yellow. Hiro shuddered as the sand started to snake its way into his shirt. "Guys, we should form a chain. Hold on to each other's hands!" he grabbed Vanellope's hand, knowing if he lost her, GoGo would never forgive him. Vanellope grabbed onto Ralph and Ralph reached for Jordan.

"I don't want to hold your hand!" he protested. "It has chocolate smudges!"

"JORDAN, just—!" Ralph grabbed it anyway, and Jordan reached for Francis, with Wasabi in the back. "We're all here! Let's go!" he shouted.

Hiro stared in front of him. It was a swirling mass of dust. He stuck his free arm out in front of him. Where. Where was the Jeep? His mind raced furiously. "WASABI! Where is the Jeep?!" he asked.

"NEAR THE EDGE OF THE CITY! HEAD NORTH!"

 _Great. Where is North?_ Hiro bit his lip. He quickly shut his mouth, sand sneaking in. He accidentally swallowed it and he tried not to gag. Headed in a random direction, he hoped it was North according to what he remembered. It took effort to put one foot in front of the other, fighting the winds. He almost wanted to stop, let go of Vanellope's hand, drop to the ground, and curl into a ball with his arms over his head and wait this out. But that would get them nowhere. And who knew how long this was going to last? Hours? Days? _Weeks_? The thought weaseled its way into his brain, making his stomach drop. Would he be able to last out here for a week? And what would happen should Cybugs drop in and pay them a visit? They had to make it out of this in one piece. His sweaty hand gripped Vanellope's as he looked back at the line behind him. Vanellope. Ralph. Jordan. Francis. Wasabi. They were all depending on him to get them out of here. They were expecting him to lead. What if he couldn't lead them? What he got them lost out here? What if Cybugs _did_ come by? Would they all die? Like that little girl in the magenta dress? He grit his teeth, which he really didn't need to do, because they were already gritty.

He wasn't going to let that happen. _One. Piece._ He didn't care what it took. He was going to get them out.

Five minutes had passed, and yet it felt like five hours. Every step was a fight. Hiro coughed on the sand that made it inside his helmet. "WAIT! HIRO!" He stopped and looked behind to see who had yelled. He could barely see Jordan waving his hand. "WE LOST FRANCIS AND WASABI!"

Hiro froze. Those were the words he dreaded to hear. "HOW FAR BACK?!"

"NOT FAR!" Jordan answered back.

Hiro let go of Vanellope and made his way back to Jordan. Jordan was pointing behind him, and let go of Ralph to help Hiro. The two boys slowly walked back (it was easier because they were walking in the direction of the wind), and saw the faint figures of Francis and Wasabi, struggling. Jordan and Hiro ran over and helped them on their feet and pushed them toward Ralph and Vanellope. "MOVE!" Hiro shouted. "You too!" He gave Jordan a shove, and Jordan followed Wasabi and Francis. He looked back behind them. He noticed that Francis had accidentally dropped his gun. Hiro picked it up and slung it over his shoulder, along with his own. He stopped and squinted in the distance. He stood there for a very long time as the others waited for them.

"HIRO!" Vanellope yelled. "WE NEED TO GO!"

Hiro could hardly hear her. In the distance, he could see something. It was white with a dark figure alongside it. He squinted even harder. It was moving, he could tell that much. And the spot was moving a lot. In fact, the spot was...moving even more... people? Hiro stopped, his breath catching in his throat. It couldn't be. There was no way. Yet it was right there, about fifteen feet away. He almost wanted to just fall to his knees. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"HIRO!" Vanellope called again.

Hiro didn't even hear this time. "Baymax...Aunt Cass?"

 **Hi! So real quick, Vanellope's dentist experience. It was taken directly from an experience my friend had at the dentist. I don't know why she went there, but I don't think it was because she had a ton of cavities. I only added that detail to attribute to the fact that Vanellope probably eats a lot of candy. However, the rest was real. I know, that's sick, right? The dentist did cut her mouth a little bit. It was...*shudders* okay anyway. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **~ kiwii-chan**


	17. Chapter XVI: Reunion

"HIRO, _STOP_! You could get lost! HIRO!" Ralph yelled.

The others shouted for him, but he didn't listen. He ran, his feet shifting in the building dunes of sand, heading for the white spot in the distance. Baymax. It was really him. And he had Aunt Cass. Unbelievable. The robot, though droopy and saggy, held his Aunt against his body, shielding her eyes from the sand. Her auburn hair was whipping madly around her face, and her black shirt wasn't protecting her arms and neck from the biting dust. "AUNT CASS!" Hiro called at the top of his lungs above the roaring winds as he stumbled over to them. "AUNT CASS! BAYMAX!"

His frightened aunt risked a glance up from Baymax to see who was calling, squinting through the sand. She let out a shriek when she saw and tripped, falling to the ground. "Who are you?" she asked accusingly.

"Aunt Cass! Are you okay?" Hiro fell to the ground on his knees in front of her, reaching out to help her up.

She blindly swatted them away, trying to scramble away. "Get AWAY FROM ME! Who—who are you? GO! Stop it!" she protested, fighting his hands. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" she held her arm to her eyes.

Hiro shrank away. The look in her eyes. She was terrified of him. He blinked, taken aback. Then he realized he had his helmet on. Without a second thought about the sand whipping around them at 90 mph, he wrenched the clamp apart off his chin and pulled the helmet off, his face immediately met with the circumstances of the weather. He could feel his hair stinging his cheeks and his eyes getting gritty, but he squinted through the sand the best he could to look Aunt Cass in the face. He dared not open his mouth.

Aunt Cass gasped when she saw him. "H... Hiro...is...is it you?" she was now on the verge of tears and couldn't even speak. She choked on a sob. "HIRO! I was so scared!" she reached up to hug him.

Before she could, Hiro slipped the helmet over her head and fastened the clamp around her chin. He pulled her up and grabbed Baymax's arm, holding it over his face. He pointed over to where the others were waiting.

"Hiro, no! You need this! This is yours!" Aunt tried to pull the helmet off.

Hiro just pulled her hands down and shook his head. He slowly started to pull Baymax and Aunt Cass towards the others. When he finally made it back, the others almost screamed when they saw Baymax. "What is that? Wha—who is—"

"JUST GET BACK TO THE JEEP!" Hiro yelled. "RALPH, YOU LEAD!"

"You heard him." Wasabi helped Ralph up front, where he led the line forward.

"Aunt Cass, hold on!" Hiro grabbed her hand and wrapped it around Francis'. Aunt Cass didn't question and grabbed onto Hiro's hand, and the line moved forward in one piece.

Then he heard something slam. "We're at the Jeep!" Francis announced.

Hiro risked a glance up to see Wasabi at the wheel with Jordan at the right, and Ralph and Francis in the back with the supplies at their feet. Vanellope flung open the trunk and scrambled inside, hauling Aunt Cass and Hiro, who pulled in Baymax. Vanellope let out a grunt as she slammed the trunk closed. "LET'S GO!" she yelled to the front. Wasabi burnt rubber as the jeep sped away. Though it was hard to see in front of them, it was pretty much safe, since there was almost nothing to avoid in the plain. The others hunkered down in their seats, taking off their helmets and coughing. When Vanellope saw Aunt Cass struggling with hers, she reached over and undid the clamp, helping her pull the helmet off.

Aunt stopped and looked around. "Hiro, who are these people? Hiro?"

Next to her, Hiro slumped against Baymax, coughing and wiping his sand covered eyes. "They're—friends," he managed weakly.

"And this is..." Vanellope started.

Hiro looked up at her, but she wished he didn't. He looked awful. It was hard to even see what color eyes he had, though she knew they were brown. He squinted. "My Aunt. And Baymax."

"Low batteoooryyyoo," the saggy robot warbled.

"What the—so your _friend_ is a robot?" Vanellope exclaimed. When she saw Hiro bury his face into the robot's arm, she stopped. He was in a wrecked state because he risked himself for this thing. She bit her tongue. "Oh," she said quietly.

"Sweetie, I was scared to death." Aunt Cass hugged Hiro close. "It'd been so long. I didn't know where you went, I—oh, honey." She racked with sobs and squeezed Hiro. She let go slowly. And she hugged him again. "Last hug," she sniffed quickly. Then she let go again and looked him up and down. "You've...grown _so_ tall," she remarked with a sniff. "Is Tadashi with you?"

Hiro coughed, nodding.

Aunt Cass started to tear up again and let Hiro lean against her shoulder with her arm wrapped around him, gently stroking his raven hair, tangled with sand as it was. She pressed a kiss to his forehead. Through all the sand and grit, Vanellope could see that Hiro's eyes were wet and brimming with tears. It was a touching scene. It almost made her cry herself. She sniffed. If her parents had survived, would her reunion be a touching as this? Would GoGo be the same? Well, she would never know. She looked down at herself. Hiro was lucky. He was _really lucky._ His family and friends were still alive, he was loved by them, and he didn't want anything more than that. She let out a breath. If only her story were the same. Not that GoGo didn't love her, but she didn't have a nearly robust way of showing it, and when she did, she had a strange way.

Feeling awkward, like an intruder in the scene, Vanellope took her helmet and turned it over, pouring the sand out and pulling the bag of supplies close to her side. Out of curiosity and because nobody was paying attention, Vanellope tentatively reached forward and poked the white blob. It was squishy. That was the only word she could find for it. She pulled her hand back and hugged her knees, her back bumping against the car as it battled the sands to get home.

They did make it back, pulling into the vehicle tent. Calmly. It was just windy. No sand. Vanellope stood on her knees, peering over Jordan. Diana was outside, waving her hands to meet them. As Wasabi and Francis got out, she could hear her mentioning that the camp was lucky to catch only the edge of the storm. As Jordan joined them and Ralph squeezed out, "How were you guys out there? Was it bad?" asked Diana.

Vanellope held her breath as she waiting for the others to open the trunk and let them out. She heard the click as the door was lifted up. Vanellope watched Diana come around. She gasped when she saw Hiro with his Aunt and Baymax. But it wasn't the sight of the new stranger or the blob-robot that startled her.

It was Hiro's eyes. Vanellope hopped out meekly, pulling the bag with her. "Oh my gosh," she murmured. "Hiro, the helmet?!" Diana looked like she was freaking out as she pulled back Baymax to see him.

"He gave it to his aunt," Vanellope explained.

"You should get to Felix. C'mon." Diana gave a little grunt as she helped Hiro out of the trunk, supporting his legs as he hopped down.

Aunt Cass followed him, lugging out Baymax. She watched Diana walk Hiro to Felix's, disappearing around the corner with Wasabi. "Will he be okay?" Aunt Cass asked Vanellope meekly, her hands clasped.

Vanellope nodded. "He should be, I think."

"I'm sorry, what's your name again?" Aunt Cass asked the girl.

Vanellope blinked. "Oh! Oh, sorry! I-I'm Vanellope." She stuck her hand out to shake. Aunt Cass gripped it firmly. "So, Hiro just went to Felix, who's our doctor, with Wasabi and Diana. Those people. And this is Jordan, and Francis."

"H-hello." Aunt Cass reached her hand out.

"Hey." Jordan shook her hand.

"Hi. Hiro's told us a lot about you." Francis smiled warmly.

"Oh," Aunt Cass blushed and chuckled. "Well, he exaggerates a lot." She waved a hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Yeah, just a little bit. Now tell me, and hope he wasn't exaggerating. Hiro said once that you make these really good spicy chicken wings. I _love_ spicy. What kind of hot sauce do you use? Or do you use hot sauce at all? Do you think I could try it at some point?"

( 0—0 )

"You've gotten yourself smeared up pretty bad," Felix remarked as he poured water into a bowl, dousing a rag. "Did the sand hurt out there?"

Hiro flinched as the rag gently swabbed his eyes. "It hurt a lot. And it really itched when it got inside my shirt and boots," he groaned. He fluttered his eyes open slowly and blinked. Suddenly, he recoiled and squeezed his eyes shut, seething his teeth. He pressed his fists into his eyes and rubbed.

"Don't rub it in your eyes," Felix reprimanded, swatting his hand away.

"So after that, you gave her your helmet, and then rejoined the line, but you used your robot's arm?" Diana asked, slouched in a chair.

Hiro nodded.

They turned to see Tadashi burst into tent. "Hiro?" he called inside.

"He's over here," Wasabi, Diana, and Felix all said at the same time. Hiro burst out laughing, making it hard for Felix to work. "Hold still," the short man muttered.

"Hiro, I heard you—" Tadashi stopped when he saw Hiro's eyes, still a little crusted with sand. "What happened?" he asked seriously.

"It was the dust storm," Hiro explained.

Tadashi looked him over. "Are you okay?" he asked slowly.

"I'm fine," said Hiro nonchalantly.

"That should do it." Felix nodded his head, satisfied. "Try to avoid rubbing your eyes, if you can help it." He wagged a finger at Hiro. "Where is Honey with those supplies?" Felix asked himself from across the room.

Cautiously, Hiro blinked, testing his eyes. He squinted, adjusting to the light. Then Hiro looked over at Tadashi. His eyes were red and tired, but he looked fine overall. Tadashi shot him a sad smile. "Did everything go okay this time?"

Hiro nodded. "Yeah, pretty okay." He looked over at Diana and nodded.

Diana immediately stood and left the tent, holding her com. Hiro grinned inwardly. Tadashi waved his hands, gesturing for Hiro to continue. "So what happened?"

Hiro launched into the whole story, quietly leaving out the highlight. "So yeah. That's what happened." He looked over as Diana came back inside. Hiro nodded. "Oh. Guess who we saw out there?" he asked.

Tadashi sighed and rubbed his neck. "Mrs. Gregory's cat," he offered sarcastically with a shrug. "What was that fur-ball's name? Alice?"

Hiro teetered his hand. "Mmmmm..." he glanced over at the tent of the door, where he saw the toes of Vanellope's boots. "Nah," he said coyly as Vanellope gently pushed the tent flap aside.

And inside stepped Aunt Cass.

Tadashi turned to see who came inside, and froze. His breath caught in his throat, and his eyes went wide. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. Aunt Cass gasped when she saw him. "Tadashi?" she asked.

"Aunt Cass?" Tadashi breathed. The two stared at each other. Then Tadashi suddenly launched off his seat, ran to Aunt Cass, and the two collided in a hug. "You're here!" was all he could say, his voice threatening to crack.

Aunt Cass started to break down again as she reached around Tadashi and squeezed him tighter. "Tadashi!" she sniffed. "And guess who found us?" she asked. Tadashi looked back to see Hiro, smiling at them. "Hiro, come over here!" Aunt Cass called. Hiro didn't need to be told twice. Even though he'd already had his turn, he got up, trying the best he could to wrap his arms around both Tadashi and Aunt Cass as she kissed them both on the forehead and cheeks.

Vanellope once again witnessed the scene. And once again felt like an intruder. Experiencing a moment that wasn't meant for her. She backed up against the tent and slowly made her way over to Wasabi. She sat down next to him and shot him a smile, her eyes shining. Again. She sniffed and swiped at her eyes.

The three let go, laughing and crying at the same time. Tadashi swiped at his eyes, which were shining wet. "Wait. You said _found us_ ," Tadashi realized suddenly.

Hiro and Aunt Cass exchanged glances. Then, Baymax found his way into the tent, flopping against the poles with his finger in the air. "I am health-care. Your personal Baymax companiooon," he warbled.

"WHOA! Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tadashi ran forward and caught the robot. Vanellope let out a squeak of laughter, before quickly clamping her mouth shut. But Hiro and Aunt Cass joined in, too, laughing. Vanellope found herself chuckling again. Tadashi pushed Baymax's face out of the way. "Low battery? How'd he make it this far?" he asked.

She chuckled. "Well, I did have his red charging box, and I kept him charged in that, but then we were attacked by the robot bugs, and they destroyed it. Then he started becoming like that," she explained, stifling another laugh.

Tadashi helped sit the robot, which blinked sleepy eyes at him. Vanellope took the opportunity. "Hey, what is he anyway?" she asked, coming over to poke the robot.

"Well, he's a health-care robot I built." Tadashi shrugged, rubbing his neck. He looked back at Baymax, who was being inspected by Vanellope. "Interesting?" he asked.

Vanellope cocked her head quizzically. "Does he always look like this?"

Tadashi and Hiro burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh! No!" Hiro protested. "He's a lot more..." Hiro struggled for words as he made a 'fat' gesture with his arms around his stomach. "Fat," Hiro blurted.

"How can he get more fat that this?" Vanellope laughed. "No offense, Tadashi."

"Well, I'll see if I can show you. Maybe I can build a charger for him."

"Ms. Hamada?" Diana stood up. "Um, I know this is a little soon, you meeting up with Hiro and Tadashi, but the proper course of action for us would be to introduce you to our head. GoGo." She smiled warmly, her hands clasped behind her back.

Cass nodded. "Oh! Sure!"

"Uh, Di, let me." Hiro butted in.

"Sure. She's in the kitchen, filling out for Joey. Because she absolutely refused to let Fred take the job," Diana laughed. "Go ahead. She may be a little crabby, though. She's not the best cook around. _Don't tell her I said that_ ," she whispered.

Hiro nodded a thanks and lead Cass to the tent flap. "Tadashi," he nodded his head to the door. "Little help?"

Tadashi looked up and nodded. "Okay. So Vanellope, can you look after Baymax for me for a little bit?" he asked. "He's a little wacky right now, but if he wants to go, don't let him. If he tries, push him down. Okay?"

Vanellope nodded and gave him a salute. "Yessir." She grinned.

Tadashi joined Hiro and Cass. "So what's happened to you two? What do you do here? Have you been doing well? Tell me everything!" Cass asked.

Tadashi wavered his hand. "I dunno. We'll try to fit in everything. It's a long story, though." And so, Tadashi launched into the tale, starting from when Hiro brought him to the camp, skimming over the details.

Cass looked like she got the just of it. "So Hiro being promoted to a patrol head was a big thing?" she asked. Hiro and Tadashi nodded. "Oh Honey, I've been here for not even an hour and we still have a lot of catching up to do, but I'm so proud of you!" Cass exclaimed and hug Hiro. "Oh, I wish I could've gotten a picture of you!"

Just then, a group of girls passed them. One with blonde hair and perfect teeth gasped when she saw Hiro. "Are you Hiro?" she asked. Her group of girlfriends got excited at the mention of his name.

Looks like Jordan was right about the fangirls.

Hiro gulped. "Um...nngh—" he tried to say no, but lying felt wrong. "…yeah," he said slowly.

The girls shrieked adoringly and started to jump up and down. Hiro wrinkled his nose in disgust. These girls were _crazy_. Another girl with pink hair came up to him. "CONGRATZ ON THE PROMOTION!" she practically screamed in his face. "We've heard a LOT about you! You're like a pop star to us!" she gestured to the group of girls.

Hiro took a step back. "Okay—"

"We've been waiting to meet you for, like, forever!" Another girl with short black hair piped up. "I mean, like, FOREVER! I can't believe you're RIGHT THERE!" she slapped her hands over her mouth and gasped.

Tadashi and Hiro exchanged weirded out looks, but the girls didn't notice. "Could I give you a hug?" a girl screamed from the back.

Hiro froze. The girl didn't even wait for the green light as she pushed her way to the front and squeezed him around the neck. Hiro gagged at the smell of her shampoo. "You're, like, our hero!" she gawked and let go, totally jazzed that she'd hugged her idol.

Then the girls suddenly fell silent as death. Hiro blinked, confused at their hush. "Well, we should go now. Bye!" the girl called nervously. The others waved good bye.

Only then did Hiro look up and realize that Tadashi was giving them all the purest death glare he'd ever seen. "I want a bodyguard," he said in a strangled voice when the girls were out of range and slowly wrapped his arms around Tadashi's waist. He peeled him off.

"Who were _those_ girls?!" Aunt Cass held a hand to her chest in disgust.

Hiro moaned. "Fans."

"Hey, Aunt Cass? We're here." Tadashi pointed to the canopies.

"Oh!" Cass looked up at them. "Neat, guys! So... what am I doing again?"

"Look." Hiro said, taking her hand. "Just let me and Tadashi do the talking. Okay? If she asks you what you can do, say you cook. Got that? You cook. You cook REALLY GOOD."

Cass blinked, confused. "Yeah. Yeah, I got that, but why do I have to—"

Tadashi ushered Cass and Hiro beneath the canopies and slowly approached the tarp separator. A very frustrated yell erupted from behind it, along with a loud clanging and a cry of pain. Tadashi halted. They listened uncomfortably as GoGo gave a great deal of muttering and swearing. The two brothers glanced at each other nervously as the tarp was wrenched away by a steaming mad GoGo in a pink checkered apron. Her hair was sticking up in crazy peaks and a cloud of flour covered her flushed face. Her hands were covered in a sticky substance that looked like batter. She stopped when she saw Tadashi and Hiro. "I thought I closed this place off, Hamada!"

"Oh, uh..." Tadashi glanced back at Hiro. "We didn't know. Sorry."

"I'm not in the best of moods and I don't have all day. Why are you here?"

"GoGo, this is my aunt. Aunt Cass." Hiro almost spat the word 'aunt', as if to say _Hey, GoGo, check it out. I was right and you wrong. Boo yeah_.

GoGo got the message. She cleared her throat and quickly whisked the apron off herself, clenching it in a fist. "I…uh, sorry. I don't usually look like this, Ms. Hamada," she said through clenched teeth. Her face was turning bright red. She wiped her hand on the apron and held it out to shake.

Cass slowly shook her hand. She glanced back at Hiro. "Hi...I hear that _y-you're_ the head of the, uh, group?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

GoGo nodded.

"Well, um a lady back there said that I should see you?"

GoGo glanced over Tadashi and Hiro again and nodded. "Yeah. Um, you see, we aren't in the best shape right now," she cleared her throat. "So space in the gang is limited. To those who can help and benefit the gang. Uh…one big happy family. So, your nephews have been doing a fine job at that, or..." she looked at Tadashi and back to Cass. "Well, yeah. You get the point. But...we have rules, and we have standards. If you don't meet...I'll get to that later. Anyway. So what can you do?"

Cass remained silent, taking up Tadashi and Hiro's warning to stay quiet. Hiro spoke up. "She is an _amazing_ cook. Believe me, I hate to throw Joey out of business, but if you taste her cooking, you'll never want to go back to TV dinners."

GoGo perked up, looking behind her. Probably at a wreck, Hiro guessed. She let out a breath. "Alright. If it's anything to do with cooking, I'm willing," she sighed ruefully. She crossed an arm over her chest and rubbed her temples. "So how about this. I'll delay the dinner. I'll give you that much time to cook. If it's good, you stay. If it's not..." GoGo stopped. Honestly, from what she'd overheard Hiro and Tadashi saying about their aunt cooking, she probably wouldn't have to come to that. And she ran a cafe, so obviously, she had good cooking. "Well, you can get started." GoGo handed the crumpled checkered apron to Cass.

Glancing back at Hiro and Tadashi, who nodded eagerly, Cass took the apron and tied it around her, oblivious to the stains on it. "Okay. I'll try," she nodded.

GoGo took the opportunity to leave. But then she stopped. "Hey, um..." she turned around to Cass. "...I've heard a lot about you. And... I'm really looking forward to having you here with us." Realizing that what she'd said was so out of character, she left the tent without so much as a dirty look at Hiro.

He looked back at his aunt as she disappeared behind the tarp, shooting him a smile as she did. She waved. He waved back with a genuine smile. GoGo had gotten whupped _so_ bad.

( 0—0 )

It smelled _so_ good. But he was too worried to enjoy the smell. Holding his breath, Hiro watched as GoGo stepped out in front of the full tables inside the dining canopies. She clapped her hands loudly and let out a ferocious yell. "CAN WE ALL SHUT UP AND LISTEN?!"

The tables suddenly went silent. Hiro and Tadashi glanced at each other nervously. Next to him, Vanellope placed a hand on his shoulder. Diana, Ralph, and Jordan sat on the other side, giving Hiro reassuring looks. Or at least, they were supposed to be.

GoGo looked out over the tables, her aura radiating silence. When she made eye contact with Hiro, she gave him a small nod. "Thank you. Okay." She cleared her throat. "Uh _kghum._ So, well, I'm sure some of you know that today was Hiro Hamada's first scout patrol." Jordan instantly started a rapid banging on the table. Diana joined in. Other people did too and Hiro died of embarrassment. GoGo continued. "Well, you're aware today, there was a dust storm. Hiro...rescued someone from the storm. It was his aunt. Today, I let her cook tonight's dinner. Which will be..." GoGo stopped, her mouth hanging open. She held up a finger and quickly ducked back into the kitchen. Then she stepped out. "Well, we're gonna be having spicy chicken wings."

A loud whoop erupted and some made faces of joy. Tadashi turned to see Fred slip in next to Jordan. He was hooting wildly, shaking his fist. "GO MS. AUNT CASS! GO MS. AUNT CASS!"

Then, Hiro practically glowed with pride as his Aunt emerged from behind the tarp with a large baking tray that held plates of pure heaven. Spicy chicken wings. He watched as someone placed two bottles of hot sauce placed in front of him. "Your aunt told me that you like hot sauce." Hiro looked up to see GoGo standing over him. She squeezed in next to Vanellope, elbows on the table. "So I guess I was wrong about your aunt." She glanced over at him. "I just wanna say...well, sorry about whatever I said about her."

Vanellope snorted. "Sweet Mother of Monkey Milk, Go. Since when did you admit you were wrong?" she asked sarcastically.

GoGo just pushed her head away. "Whatever," she muttered. "Don't talk to the head of this gang like that."

"Well, you're my sister, so I get an exception." Vanellope grinned cheekily.

Hiro took a look at the bottles of hot sauce. One had a picture of a green chili pepper with a sombrero. _Chili Spit._ He grabbed the other bottle and stopped, taken back by the wrapper. " _Wrath of God_?" he glanced over at GoGo, grimacing. "Who wants the Wrath of God?" he asked.

"Well, that's really, like super, and I mean _SUPER_ hot. Don't try it." Jordan shook his head, drawing a thumb across his throat. "It will incinerate your throat. Don't."

Hiro nodded slyly. "I hear a challenge."

Jordan suddenly let out a pained whimper and squinted his eyes closed, his head slowly wilting.

"Aw, it's not that hot." Vanellope shook her head.

"That's because you _like_ spicy." Diana wagged a finger at her.

"Yeah, but—HEY! Felix!" Ralph threw up his big hands. "Over here!"

Felix, as short as he was, did make it to the table and sat down next to the ginormous man. He looked like a bug next to him, but both of them, big and small, instantly started to chat. They looked so out of place together, but yet...so right.

Honey sat down next to GoGo. "Hi!" she waved. "I hear you found your aunt, Hiro! Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you!" she reached around GoGo and gave Hiro a big squeeze. "Is she okay? Oh my gosh, oh my _gosh_! What is that amazing smell?" Honey took in a deep breath. "Oh my gosh! That smells like your aunt's chicken wings!" she remarked.

"Because it is." Hiro grinned.

"Oh my gosh, it is?" Honey clapped her hands together. "I haven't had those in forever! This is going to be so good!" she laughed.

Tadashi chuckled. "This will be the best thing I've eaten in a _long_ while."

"I _know_ , right?" Honey squealed and adjusted her pink glasses.

Then, Hiro saw Cadence's green hair through the crowd. Right behind her was Francis and... Joey. Well, since they all were sitting at the very end of the table, there was room for them to squeeze in. "Francis! Dude!" Jordan held out his hand to Francis, who did a fist bump. "Where were you?"

Francis blushed a little. "I was helping Joey," he answered modestly.

Cadence helped Joey into a seat. "There you go," she smiled.

Joey sniffed his nose noisily. "Thanksh," he said in a stuffy voice. His nose upon which his blue glasses rested was red, and his hair was more disheveled than usual.

Hiro watched as Cadence sat down next to him, and Francis sat down next to her. Francis actually seemed happy to be sitting with Cadence without the drudgery of Taffyta. It was almost perfect.

"Hello," Aunt Cass greeted him. Joey sniffled and turned around to see Cass standing over him. "I hear you're the cook here?" she smiled sweetly.

"Y-yeah!" Joey nodded eagerly. "Yeah, yep. Yep, that's me," he sniffed proudly.

"Well, I also hear you have the flu." Cass nodded knowingly. "Well, you know, GoGo told me that maybe you should have this instead." She set a bowl in front of Joey. It was filled with chicken soup with egg noodles and white meat chicken. The smell was store bought, but it was still good.

Joey's eyes lit up. "W-well, you know, I never cared for spicy..." he started.

Cass let out a laugh. "Tch. It's okay. I know few people like that." She gave a dismissal wave of her hand. Coming around to the end of the table, she waited as the chicken made it down to Hiro and the others. With no hesitation, Vanellope grabbed the Wrath of God and slathered a generous amount all over her chicken, eyeing it greedily.

"You know, I'm not sure that's a good idea, all that sauce," Ralph started.

Vanellope rolled her eyes and groaned. "Come on, Ham-Hands, what's the worst thing that could happen?" she asked.

GoGo gave Vanellope a small hit over the head. "Don't hurt yourself."

"Oh, whatever!" Vanellope dug her teeth into the wing and quickly chewed and swallowed. "Come on guys, it's not that bad! It's not..." she stopped. She slowly held a hand over her mouth. "Whoa. It grows," she said, immediately starting to pant. "Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Sweet Mother of Monkey Milk, it really grows!" She started to fan her mouth. "Whoo! Whoo! Whoo, that's good! That's really good!" she remarked. "I haven't been like this since I tried Fix-it's chili! Whoa, that's good!"

Tadashi laughed. "Is it the chicken, or the sauce?" he asked.

Vanellope shook her head. "Both!"

"Then I'll try it." Hiro grabbed the bottle and started to pour some on his wings.

"Oooh man, dude. I'll stick with the Spit." Jordan grabbed the Chili Spit.

Honey, Fred, Tadashi, and Hiro dove into their wings fearlessly. GoGo slowly bit into a wing. She stopped in mid-chew. Hiro watched her face for a reaction. Then he tensed due to GoGo's unreadable face. She blinked and slowly swallowed it. Cass looked on eagerly. GoGo set down the chicken wing and coughed, thumping her chest with a fist. "Ms. Hamada, you're _hired_." She snapped her fingers and quickly started to eat.

Hiro shot his aunt an excited nod, and she grinned. Vanellope flashed thumbs up. Diana nodded. "Ms. Hamada, this is really good. I mean it."

"Well, please, just call me Cass." Cass held up a finger.

"It's good, _Cass_ ," Jordan said carefully. "Yes, really good."

"But what about me?" Joey wailed. "You just flushed my whole entire career down the toilet! What am I gonna do?" He sniffed again, tearing up.

Cass flew over to him. "Hey. You know what?" she asked.

Joey sniffed. "What?"

"Do you wanna learn how to cook with me? I'll let you work in the kitchen with me. You can be my assistant," Cass offered happily.

Joey's eyes widened. "You would...really?" he asked. "I _always_ wanted to cook for real! This just might be my chance!" he exclaimed, excited.

GoGo cleared her throat quickly. "Ms. Ha—I mean, Cass, I don't think that's the best idea," she started, eyeing Joey warily.

"Oh, GoGo, I can make a cook out of him in the blink of an eye!" Cass started. "See, it all works out, you know what I mean?" she shrugged her fist around energetically.

Joey started to vibrate in his seat like a phone ringing on silent mode, going on and on about how he was really going to be a real cook and that this must be his destiny and that he was so glad Ms. Cass came into his life. Already, Aunt Cass had fit into the gang, and she was already loved by his friends. He smiled. His family was together, he was with his friends, and they were all having a good time. Moments like this were rare, even if Jordan was blabbering his head off for a cup of water for his tongue. His family and friends were all here.

What could be better?


	18. Chapter XVII: Attempt

She thought the robot couldn't have gotten fatter. He was FAT. Vanellope walked around the thing, inspecting it from head to toe. "Okay, it got fatter."

"Fatter?" Tadashi scoffed. "No, we just restored him to his former glory."

Vanellope gave him a doubtful look. " _Glory_? I'm not sure I'd say 'glory,' but...okay, but he does look kind of cute," she admitted sheepishly as she took up biting her thumbnail.

"Cute?" Hiro coughed.

"Well, yeah!" Vanellope shrugged. "I mean, look at him, Hiro! He's practically a walking marshmallow! And who doesn't like marshmallows?" She giggled as Baymax toddled around trying to keep up with her. "Cool." She took Baymax's arm and poked it a few times. "It's almost like drying insulation foam," she remarked.

"My arm is constructed of vinyl," Baymax stated.

"So, you built him, Tadashi?"

"Yeah. I was going for a non-threatening, huggable kind of thing." He laughed, "Of course, Mochi scratched him up a quite a bit when he first saw him."

Hiro rubbed his neck, remembering the unfortunate demise of his cat. Well, honestly, he'd rather have Baymax than Mochi. But how was he and Tadashi going to handle this in the camp? He was starting to wonder. Baymax couldn't be cooped up in a tent all day. Maybe he could help Tadashi or Honey Lemon. Or maybe he could just bring him along with him all day. Even on patrols? Uh, no way.

The com at his belt crackled. " _Hiro? You need to get over here._ "

Hiro grabbed the com fast, due to Wasabi's panicked voice. "Where?"

" _Di's tent on the border. There're four Cybugs. I need some backup!_ "

Hiro nodded. "On my way." He slipped the com back into his belt. "I'll be back!" he called as he ran off. In the distance, he could hear a few echoing gun shots. People were moving away from the area. He noticed one of the girls give an adoring gasp as he rushed by. He must look like a rock star. He flashed her a cool-boy grin for the stupidity of it all, but didn't have time to scoff after.

When he rounded the corner, he saw Wasabi, along with Calhoun and one of the other patrol heads who was only a little older than himself. Danny, if he remembered correctly. Each were taking on their own Cybug, with one more running loose. And it was already laying eggs. _Oh no you don't._ Hiro cocked his rifle, pulling the trigger. He hit the eggs one by one in bursts of acid. It was enough to get its attention and to make it mad. It veered off course and started running for him. He readied his gun again and aimed, and remember what Calhoun once said: _aim small, miss small._ He had learned to take the words to heart. He hit the Cybug near its eye and quickly dodged the Cybug before it barreled into him. Once, the Cybug got too close and nicked him on the arm. It made another charge. Hiro let out a cry of alarm when the Cybug did finally barrel into him, one metallic leg planted firmly on his gun. When he couldn't tug the gun out from underneath the bug, he drew out a large knife from his belt and stabbed it up into the unprotected, thin tin plates underneath the bug. Metal against metal, sparks were shed. The bug screeched and he seethed his teeth in pain as each drop of acid burned. He wrenched the knife out and stabbed up again, his hand clenching the handle.

There was a loud bullet crack. The Cybug went still. And much to his discomfort, it slumped on top of him. Hiro let out a relieved breath as he shoved the bug off.

Diana held a gun which was aimed at the Cybug. She lowered it. "That was kind of close," she exhaled.

Hiro stood up and cleaned his knife on his skinny jeans. "Yeah. No kidding." He slid the knife back into its sheath. Wasabi stood up wearily. The four Cybugs lay in smoldering heaps of acid and crackling wires.

"Me and Wasabi will clean up," Diana said. "Thanks."

Hiro shook his head. "No problem," he said and started back into the camp. He passed Cadence as he did. He nodded.

She nodded back, toying with one of her green ponytails. She grimaced when she saw his cuts. "Ow, that looks pretty bad," she winced.

"I'll get it fixed up." Hiro shrugged. But he couldn't deny that it really hurt. He headed back to where he left Baymax, Tadashi, and Vanellope. Maybe Baymax could help him. But after three minutes, he heard someone running up behind him.

It was Cadence again. "Hiro! Hey! Hiro!" she was panting. "Find Tadashi. Diana told me to get you guys! She says she found something you guys might want to see! Come on!" She waved him to follow her. "Oh, Diana says that you should also call Vanellope. I don't know what about, but you should hurry."

Hiro nodded. "O-okay." He pulled out his com. "Hey, Tadashi?"

The com crackled. " _Yeah? Wait, is this Hiro?_ "

"Yeah. Diana says that you should come over here. She found something that she says we should see. And hey, bring Vanellope, too. Okay? And Baymax?"

" _No problem. See you there._ " The com went out.

Hiro slid back into his belt and turned around, following Cadence back the way he came. She waited for him to round the corner, looking rather eager. But for what reason, he didn't know. Maybe she was always eager. He did round the corner, and saw Diana standing in front of an overturned Cybug, it's curled legs sticking it the air, yet pulled back for Diana to peer down into it. Hiro recognized it as the one he'd stabbed. He slowly made his way to the smoking bug nervously, not knowing what to expect. She looked up at him. Her hair was falling out of her braid, and her face was wet from sweat, but she looked excited and mysterious. Hiro stopped short of the bug. "What?" he asked.

"Wait," she replied, looking up as Tadashi rounded the corner with Vanellope, lugging the white robot behind her. "Ah, there you are." She gave a crisp nod of her head. "Think you guys might like this."

"Whoa, what's that?" Cadence asked when she saw Baymax.

"His name is Baymax. He's a healthcare robot." Tadashi explained.

"Baymax?" Hiro grimaced as he held up his cut arm.

"Hiro, on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?" Baymax asked, looking down at a face scale that appeared on his stomach.

"How about seven?" He'd learned not to lie. It never got him anywhere.

"I will scan you now." Baymax scanned him from head to toe. "Scan complete," he reported. "You have minor lacerations to the face and arm. Also, your skin appears to have slight burns," Baymax stated with a finger up. "I suggest, for the lacerations, a disinfecting spray, and keeping it covered after the treatment."

When Hiro's arm had been wrapped and a Band-Aid had been stuck to his forehead, Vanellope and Cadence and both gawked at him. "Whooooooooa," they both said slowly. "He's so plushy!" Cadence remarked as gave Baymax a squeeze. Tadashi rolled his eyes with a chuckle. The girls always loved Baymax.

Wasabi came over to see what the two girls were gawking about. "Whoa," he said, looking Baymax over. "He's a lot fatter than last time."

"Well, yeah, they fixed him up! Gadoy," Vanellope shrugged.

"Uh _kghum._ Thank you," Diana cleared her throat. She let out a breath. "Okay. Vanellope and Hiro?" she said slowly. "I know you've been pestering GoGo about this for some time, now." She raised her eyebrows.

"It wasn't pestering, it was just...well, being persistent?" Hiro suggested.

"Nice try. Anyway." Diana leaned her elbows on the edge of the Cybug. "Well, I think you stabbed this one, right? Well, I was trying to clean this one up. But it turned over. You see these?" She pointed a finger at the thin plates of metal that covered underneath the Cybug. Two holes were wrenched into the plates, which were bent and twisted out of the way. "You stabbed into the plates, and I couldn't help but take a peek inside." She nodded to them. "Go ahead."

The others, even Wasabi, slowly leaned over to look inside. It was a frying mass of wires connected to engines and gears. Hiro nodded. "Okay. So?"

Diana pointed inside. "Well, you see where all those wires are broken?" Hiro nodded. "That's because I pulled out this." Diana pulled out from behind her a metal box. It looked like the battery of the engine, about the size of a water bottle. It was covered in dripping acid, but Diana didn't seem to mind since she had gloves on. "Here." She wiped the thing in a dirty rag which was filled with acid holes, and tossed it to Hiro, who caught it in his stomach. "Take a look."

"That's heavy," Hiro remarked and turned it over in his hands, the others looking over his shoulder. He shrugged. "What's so special?" he asked.

Diana sighed, exasperated. "Look. _Right. There_." She tapped a finger on the middle of the battery. There was the faint imprint of logo. Hiro squinted and rubbed his thumb over it. _Ore-iental Works. Est. 2036._ It was obviously a company.

"Your heart rate has increased dramatically. This is often a result of excitement, or shock," Baymax stated from his place in the back of the crowd.

Vanellope squinted at it. "Wait. Is that, like, the place that made it? Is there a company that _makes_ Cybugs?" she asked, aghast.

Diana shrugged. "Look, I seriously doubt it, but if it's not a company that makes Cybugs, then it's definitely the company that made the metal. _Ore_ -iental? I think the 'Ore' part is referring to metal. So I think it's a metal company."

Hiro's eyes widened when he realized what it meant. "Oh my gosh! This is huge!" he exclaimed. "Do you think we could find out who made the Cybugs by this?" he asked, excitedly, his brown eyes hopeful.

Tadashi and Diana glanced at each other. "It's hard to say," Tadashi murmured.

"What do you think, Vanellope?" Hiro asked.

Vanellope stopped. She sighed regretfully and hung her head. "Look. Hiro," she started. "I know I was all into it when this began, but...seriously. Hiro. This is just like a goose chase. What if the guy's dead, now? How do we stop the Cybugs? I really think...the apple didn't fall far from the tree on this one." She shrugged.

Hiro stared, almost like he'd been slapped in the face. "Vanellope, this..." he stopped. He slowly narrowed his eyes and straightened. "Fine," he said slowly. He turned back to Tadashi. "We should show this to GoGo," he said seriously.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Diana waved her hands. "Do you think this is a good idea?" she grimaced. "You think GoGo's going to like this?"

( 0—0 )

"I don't like this," GoGo muttered darkly.

She turned around to face Hiro, whose face had just fell. "But GoGo, think about this!" he protested. "This could lead us to whoever is making the Cybugs! We could stop this! How does this not excite you even a little bit?"

GoGo held up a finger. "The idiot who created the Cybugs could be dead for all we know, and the Cybugs could just be reproducing on their own. And it does excite me." She pinched her fingers closed until there was only a sliver of space between them. "This much," she said. " _And_ , if we tried to find the source of the Cybugs—if there even is one—it undoubtedly would mean danger, and the one thing I want to do is to keep everyone here safe. Not go on escapades for something that isn't even a fact."

Hiro looked down and let out a breath. "You didn't want to keep everyone safe before," he said quietly. "There was Fred. Me. Diana's sister. Others."

GoGo stopped and looked down at him. She didn't know how to respond. Then she took a step back. "Okay. So I did," she admitted. "But that's still no excuse to go chasing something we don't know exists. You really think somebody made these things?"

"What? You think they were created by a Big Bang or something?" Hiro shook his head. "Look, you and I both know that somebody had to create these guys. They didn't just pop out of thin air. _We_ didn't. So there has to a be a creator somewhere."

GoGo held up a fist and he fell silent. She opened her hand. With a small breath, Hiro reluctantly placed the Cybug battery in her hand. GoGo looked at it. And as she gripped it in her hand, Hiro knew she wasn't going to give it back. "Hiro." She looked up slowly. "I want you, Diana, Vanellope, Tadashi, and everybody else…to forget that this ever happened. You never found a Cybug battery, you never knew about any metal factory."

Hiro opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it. "This isn't about keeping us safe, is it?" he said slowly, watching every word that slipped off his tongue, making sure his tone was soft. "Is this about keeping _Vanellope and you_ safe? Ever since your parents died, you've been so protective over everyone. I even think you stopped trusting people, and you started to see people as dead weight to the gang, so in order to keep 'us' safe, you cut numbers. Right?"

He let out a small gasp as GoGo quickly clenched the collar of his jacket and pulled him forward until they were eye to eye. "I could have you stripped of your title as patrol head and patrol member and you'd be restricted from leaving this camp."

Hiro shuddered at the thought of being cooped up inside the gang for the rest of his stay. He looked down at GoGo's shoes quietly. "So I was right?" GoGo squeezed harder. Hiro bit his lip. "You wanna sit here and wait the apocalypse out instead of doing something to end it now." He nodded. "Play it safe."

" _Hiro_ ," GoGo lashed out. He flinched. "Be the manipulator you are, but if you're trying to get to me, _forget it._ Believe me, I will invoke what I said."

"Right. Just to keep 'us' safe, right?" Hiro made finger quotes. GoGo thrust him back and escorted him roughly out of the tent, closing it behind him. He blinked as the sun hit his eyes. _He_ wasn't going back in there anymore. He bit his lip and glared at his clenched hands. There was no way he could live like this, knowing he'd just bypassed an opportunity to destroy these things. And undoubtedly, GoGo would be watching him from now on. He'd have to be careful.

He carefully turned himself around and made his way back to his own tent, his mind pouring over GoGo's threats. Was he going to listen, or was he going to keep pushing? He'd lost Vanellope already. Who else would be loyal to the idea? Tadashi? Maybe. Diana? Maybe. Fred? Probably. Honey? Almost definitely not. Jordan and Ralph and the others? He couldn't be sure. He pushed his way into his tent and sat down for a little while. It was empty, and the silence gave him the opportunity to think hard. He did for almost an hour. He'd finally reached a conclusion when Tadashi stepped inside.

His brother shot Hiro a smile. "Hi," he said. "The others were starting to wonder where you went. I've been looking for you for a while. I checked the dining tent, the vehicle tent, GoGo's, Jordan's, I even checked the entire border of the camp, because I know you like to be alone when you're thinking, and then it occurred to me that you might be back in our own tent, and that's when I headed over here." He paused when Hiro made no reply. He only let out a breath and continued to stare ahead, almost as if Tadashi were invisible. Tadashi came over and sat down next to him. "Hey. Hiro? You okay?" he asked. Hiro slowly looked up at him. He was silent. "Did something happen with you and GoGo?" Hiro still made no reply and looked down. Tadashi wore a look of concern. "Hiro. What happened?" he asked.

Hiro finally opened his mouth to speak. "She wants all of us to forget this ever happened," he said. His voice was small, almost as if half of him were still lost in thought. He hugged his elbows and continued. "She took the battery from me and said that she could take away my rank as patrol head and keep me confined in the camp if I told anybody...well, something." He shuddered. "But she does _not_ want us out there."

Tadashi blinked. "And you've been thinking?"

Hiro nodded. "Yeah."

"And...?"

Hiro looked up at his brother, who was waiting for a reply. He stared into his eyes, thinking about whether to spill the beans or not. When Tadashi's gaze stayed steady, but still in a commanding way, Hiro decided to spill. "I want to go find them," he declared. "And I'll do it, even if it means I have to leave the camp."

Tadashi blinked. "You know, that answer is just so… _you_." He shook his head and chuckled, clicking his tongue. "Stubborn." He looked away and pursed his lips. "And I guess you can't be persuaded. Who else knows about your decision?"

"Oh, well, it's not really a 100 percent made decision. More like 85. But, uh, only you know about it so far." Hiro shrugged. "If I do this, I'm not sure I want to tell the others. Especially Vanellope." He looked down. "She's lost interest, and I'm not sure how she'll take it."

The two brothers sat in silence for a minute. Hiro glanced uncomfortably up at Tadashi. But his brother was deep in thought as well. Hiro averted his eyes and decided to break the ice. "I think I know what you're thinking."

Oh?" Tadashi raised his eyebrows.

"You think I'm getting ahead of myself, not thinking this out thoroughly, not being smart, and overall, you think I shouldn't do it."

Tadashi nodded. "So that's your guess." He looked skyward and let out a breath. "Well, you're about half right," he said. Hiro perked up. "You aren't getting ahead of yourself, but you aren't thinking it through. You're being smart in trying to destroy the Cybugs, but not smart as in the circumstances we're placed in, and yes, I don't think you should do it."

Hiro's heart sank. Somehow, he'd expected this to happen.

"But if you're going, then so am I," Tadashi said firmly.

Hiro snapped his head back to look at him. "W-what? Really?"

"Well, I'm not just going to let my little brother skip merrily into to his possible death, now, am I?" Tadashi leaned down to ruffle his hair.

Hiro swatted his hand away. "You are taking this _very_ well. How—how are you so happy about this?"

"Believe me, Hiro, I'm not."

"No, I mean, you're not being grim, or anything like that." Hiro shook his head. "Tadashi, think about this. We're going to be leaving behind so many people." He let his words sink in. "Diana. Vanellope. Honey, Fred, Ralph, Jordan, even Aunt Cass. We'll be leaving her here while we go off."

Hiro almost sounded like he didn't want to go; which Tadashi was sure he didn't. He placed a hand on Hiro's shoulder. "Says who?" Hiro's brow furrowed. "I mean, who says it's just us going? If Diana or Ralph wants to come, why not let them?" Tadashi shrugged. "The more the merrier."

"So what are we gonna do? Ask them?"

"Why not?" Tadashi clarified. "It's worth a try."

Hiro looked down again and thought hard. "I don't want to ask Vanellope, though. I know she's not going to like this."

Tadashi nodded knowingly. "Okay," he agreed. "But when do you plan on leaving?" he asked. "Because if we ask, we gotta tell them when."

"How about as soon as possible?" Hiro shrugged.

Tadashi squeezed Hiro's shoulder. "Sounds fine with me," he paused. "Hiro, this is serious. I mean, it's big. As in, _really_ big. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Hiro squeezed his eyes shut and firmly nodded his head before he could change his mind. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah."

( 0—0 )

It was looking good so far. Word had spread among friends. Diana, Jordan, Ralph, Honey, Fred, and Aunt Cass had agreed to come, and a few others didn't. Felix was still making up his mind. Hiro wanted to ask Vanellope about the whole thing so bad that it near drove him insane. But he knew what her answer would be. There was no point in asking. With a breath, Hiro looked around. Black gang camp. Over the months, he never thought it would, but it had become home to him, worn and beat up as it was. He knew which tent was which. He could tell sect A from sect B. He knew where everybody stayed. He knew where and where not to poke around. He'd memorized the placement of night patrols. He knew where he and his friends had once walked, played card games, or fought Cybugs. Almost every square foot of ground was a land mark to him. It was sad to leave it behind. It was almost like leaving home all over again. This time not to outrun Cybugs, but to find them. Hiro sighed, looking skyward. The sky was a light orange tinged with pink and fluffy clouds. The sun blazed high above his head, and he knew the others were probably packing by now. He should be, too.

With a puff, he turned around and started back inside his tent. He drew out a gray duffle bag from underneath his bed, where he had once stuffed in roll after roll of gauze wrap. The encounter at the hospital seemed so long ago. Ages. He let out a breath and tucked in a few changes of clothes, including his red robot T-shirt. Now he'd be able to wear it without keeping it secret. If it still fit. He also stuffed in a gun, his bullet belt, revolver, a knife, and a small canteen. He added a wrench to the mass in the bag for no good reason. He pulled out the piece of paper he swiped from Diana's and scrawled a note. For Vanellope. When finished ten minutes later, he folded the paper, letting it rest on his empty cot. He stared at the scene for a moment. He knew his bed stood empty and his computer was in the bag. But he was forgetting something. Then he remembered what he forgot. With a shocked grimace and a snap of his fingers, he rushed over to the cot. He shook his head. Vital. _Vital._ Vital, vital, vital. _Underwear._ If he'd forgotten _that..._ He placed in a few changes and let out a relieved breath. "That's it," he muttered forlornly with a sigh.

"Going out?" a voice behind him asked.

Hiro froze. "Um...yeah. Going on a patrol," he answered nonchalantly.

"The next patrol is at 6:55, and you're not on it," Vanellope answered. She looked down at his bag. "Looks like you're going on a trip," she observed.

"Uh...sort of." Hiro hefted the bag onto his shoulder. "I should get going." he said, clutching the straps of the bag with clammy hands.

Vanellope crossed her arms and stood in the doorway of the tent. Even though Hiro could've shoved his way through, he didn't want Vanellope's last memory of him to be pushing past her. He sighed in annoyance.

"Where are you really going?" Vanellope asked. Hiro didn't answer. "You're going out, aren't you? To go look for that factory!"

"Did I say that?" Hiro asked.

"Your face says everything I need to know, I could—" Vanellope looked around his shoulder. "Wait. What's that?" she asked. She quickly shouldered her way past Hiro and flew to his empty cot and snatched up the note.

"No! NO! Vanellope! Stop—it's not what you think!" Hiro tried to grab Vanellope's shoulder, but she was already reading the note.

"Vanellope," she read aloud, her voice shaky, "if you found this, then I should already be gone. Me, my family, and some friends left for the Ore-iental factory. I'm hoping this will be a huge step to getting rid of the Cybugs. I'm sorry I didn't come to say good bye to you, but I thought it would be for the best. Vanellope, you were my first friend I ever made here, and you've stuck with me the whole time. I want to thank you, because it meant a lot to me. Really. I know you're angry with me right now, but if you know me, you'll be aware that I'm stubborn and I don't change my mind once it's set. Leaving was hard. But I have to do this, and I'm sorry that you couldn't come with me. I know that you wouldn't have agreed with me anyway, though. But still, you're a great friend. I'm sorry for all of this. I hope that if I come back, we can be friends again. Until then, _Hiro Hamada_?" Her voice cracked, trying to mask her sobs with growing anger. She clenched the note in her hand, crumpling it, and whirled around to face a pained Hiro with his eyes clenched shut. He opened them slowly to look at her. "Hiro, I told you already! It's not going to _work_! How many times do I have to get it in your head?"

Hiro looked down.

"HIRO! Look at me! _Please_!" her brown eyes were already shining with tears as one spilled over her cheek. "Don't do this! Once you go, you guys will be traitors and you won't be viewed the same way anymore. GoGo might not even let you guys back in! You're going to be leaving us! You're going to be leaving GoGo, and she's not going to like that one bit." Vanellope drew in a ragged breath.

Hiro just sighed. "I'm sorry," was all he said.

Vanellope looked shocked. "That—…" Her eyes lit up with anger, and then her eyes narrowed. "Okay. _Go_ ," she spat. "JUST GO!" she yelled. "What are you waiting for!?" she asked, tears streaming down her face. " _Leave_! Go!" She shoved the crumpled note at his chest as she pushed him toward the tent entrance.

"Vanellope, I don't want us to leave like this!" Hiro protested, pained.

"Well I don't care!" Vanellope sniffed and shrugged her shoulders with a wry laugh. "You know, I thought you were better than this," she admitted. "I thought you were loyal, you know? Stuck with us? I mean, we basically took you guys in! I helped you guys past GoGo! I helped you through all of this! And how do you repay me? How do you repay _us_?" she glared at him, lips trembling.

"Vanellope, don't—"

"You're a _RAT_!" Vanellope screamed at him. "And _I don't need you_! JUST GO!" she stared at him, her tears flowing freely now. Her eyes blazed with anger.

Hiro stared back at her, helpless. After a minute, he let out a breath and turned to go.

Vanellope stared as he went. In just one movement, he was gone. She was now standing in the tent. Alone. She felt the silence bear down on her, almost suffocating. Her legs suddenly felt weak beneath her, and she sat down quickly on Hiro's now empty cot. She sniffed as she wiped her eyes and looked up. On the dirt, Hiro's crumpled note laid forlornly. She stood up and kicked it so hard that it flew out of the tent. Feeling how good it felt to let her anger out with kicking, Vanellope whirled around and yelled ferociously again, bashing her foot so hard into the metal leg of Hiro's cot that it slid across the dust a few inches. Her foot went numb for a second. Then, a searing pain set in, stabbing at her foot like a million knives and sharp rocks. She let out an earsplitting yell of pain as she quickly sat on the cot. Whimpering, she eased her boot off her foot, grimacing at her sock, stained a filthy blood red. She tugged the sock off and stared at the dripping, bloody mass, of what was supposed to be her toe. She bit her lips and touched it gingerly. Her finger became stained with dark, sticky red. It felt horribly warm. She sat there for a very long time, her toe bleeding onto the ground. The silence helped her think. To comfort herself, she told herself over and over and over again that Hiro was a jerk and that he was going to get his butt killed out there. And it wasn't going to be her fault. She tried to stop him, but no! No, he wanted to go destroy all Cybugs. And she was going to let him.

Ha.

There was silence after that. But she resumed, suddenly deep in thought. After about ten minutes, she stood up gingerly on her good foot, picking up her sock and boot. Hiro was gone. There was nothing she could do about that. Actually, there was something she could do. But she needed to hurry. She limped out of the tent, a trail of blood drops stretching behind her.

( 0—0 )

Hiro huddled a little bit closer to Diana. They were both sitting in the dark shadows of a tent, the night sky concealing them nicely. This had to be one of the riskiest things he'd ever done while he was here. Sneak out and basically abandon his only home out here, with a few others who wanted to go with him. And it didn't help since some of those people played key roles here in the camp. How would the gang function without them? How riskier could this become? Hiro let out a nervous breath. "Tadashi should be here," he said. "What's taking him so long?"

"Wait," said Diana quietly. "He'll be here. As in, right now," she said, just as Tadashi quickly stole away to where they were standing. Right behind him was Fred and a rather nervous-looking Cass.

"This is so exciting!" Fred gawked quietly.

"Do you have him?" Hiro asked.

Tadashi gestured to the red box strapped to his back. Baymax was stuffed away safely inside. Hiro nodded, satisfied. "Honey will make it here with Felix, but she'll probably be a little late. Felix is having serious inner conflict, she tells me," Tadashi reported. "I can't say for the others."

"I can say Jordan's here," Di said as Jordan crept over. "You took a while."

"The card games," was all he said.

Hiro felt a hand grip his shoulder. He turned to see Cass looking up at him with worried eyes. "Honey, are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked. "I mean, I only just got here. I feel unprepared. I don't know what's going to happen. And I don't think these people would hurt us, but I don't want to take any chances. I don't want to lose you two again," she reasoned.

Hiro squeezed her hand. "Aunt Cass, you're gonna have to trust me on this one. Okay?" he asked. His Aunt slowly nodded, still unconvinced. "Okay. Just keep quiet, do what I tell you, and we should get out of this okay." He gave her hand one more squeeze.

"So how's Ralph going to get to us?" Diana asked.

"We're actually going to him," Tadashi replied. "He's on a night watch, and it's our luck he's posted near the vehicle tent. We grab a car, pick him up, and then we drive off. Got that?"

Diana made an uncertain groan that trailed off. "Risky."

Hiro gulped. "Tadashi, we may have to leave early."

Tadashi looked down at him. "And I wasn't notified?"

"It's Vanellope. She caught me packing, and... well, I let the cat out of the bag. She knows, and if I know her, she'll rat us out. We need to move fast." He looked around nervously. "So we have Fred, Di, Cass, Baymax, Jordan, you, and me. Who else?"

"Ralph, Honey, and possibly Felix," Tadashi replied. He looked over to his right, squinting in the darkness. "Okay. Actually, you can make that just Ralph."

Honey joined the group, gently padding over to them. "I'm sorry I was sort of late," she apologized. With a shiver, she drew her cardigan around her shoulders. "Felix isn't coming. He wants to stay because he's their only doctor," she replied. "This is kind of scary. I'm not afraid to say I'm nervous."

"Everybody ready?" Hiro asked. Everyone nodded. "Then let's head out."

"Head out where, huh?"

The group froze as still as ice as a sarcastic voice spoke out from the shadows. The seconds that stretched on were filled with chest-tightening suspense, filling all of them with the sensation of not know if they were caught by friend or enemy. The light was horrible, forcing Hiro had to squint into the darkness to just make out the faint figure. "Vanellope?" he asked.

"Okay, look." She held up her hands. "You need to hear me out."

"I've heard enough of what you have to say about this. I don't need to hear it again," Hiro hissed. "So get lost. Please," he added, softer.

"Hiro, it's about that," Vanellope started again. "I know GoGo took the battery from you guys. And you need it. I can help you get it back," she offered.

Hiro peered at her skeptically. "And... why are you helping us? Last time I offered, you called me a rat. And a jerk."

With a frustrated sigh, Vanellope yanked on her bangs. "Well, let's just say..." she took a deep breath. "I changed my mind. When you didn't turn back, it kind of stuck out to me, and I thought that maybe you actually had a way to do this. So I had the change of heart, etc., etc." she crossed her arms. "But you need the battery, and it's in GoGo's tent. I can help you guys get it," she said. "If you let me come along."

Hiro stared at her for a moment. "Vanellope, that's..."

"Wow," Jordan said simply. "New ally. This is going great!" he hissed excitedly before Diana shushed him with a little hit over the head.

"...You seriously want to join us?" Hiro asked.

Vanellope grinned impishly. "It _would_ be awfully boring without you here. Besides. If I weren't with you out there, who'd save your butt?" she jerked her head back into the camp. "But we have to move. GoGo already knows about you guys." She headed off, not waiting for Hiro to follow. She meant _move._

Hiro followed her, telling the others to stay put until they came back. "If we don't make it back in ten five minutes, head off without us and we'll try to meet up at the vehicle tent." He followed the fast moving Vanellope. "Why do I need your help to get the battery anyway?"

"It's in GoGo's drawer that's locked. You need the key. I know where the key is, and you don't. That's why you need me. Come on." She ducked into GoGo's empty tent, eerily dark and silent. Hiro jumped as the wind whistled through the tent. Sure enough, there was a bed stand with drawers next to what he guessed was GoGo's bed. The top one had a key hole. He watched Vanellope move GoGo's cot aside a bit. Underneath the left leg was a rock. She pried it out and began to dig for a few seconds. She gave a little cry of triumph as her dusty fingers held up a small key. It was simple, dull, and rather dirty, but Vanellope stuck it into the keyhole nonetheless. There was a satisfying click and the drawer popped open. She pulled it out and tossed the battery to Hiro. He caught it quickly and stuck it into the pocket of his backpack, hoping it wouldn't fall out. Vanellope left the key in the hole, shoved the dirt and rock over it, pushing the cot back in place. "Okay. Let's go." She waved him on.

They froze as a shadow passed over the front, the top of it just barely brushing the tent flaps. It was a human shadow. They couldn't tell who it was, but both stood as still as death. The shadow didn't move for a few tense seconds. But then it turned towards the tent. And it grew larger as there were quiet footsteps. Someone was walking over to the tent. When they both heard the pop of a gum bubble, they knew who it was. Hiro and Vanellope shot each other panic stricken faces as they held their breath, taking a step back. Hiro turned to Vanellope. _What do we do ?_ He mouthed to Vanellope. She shook her head helplessly, her eyes wide.

Hiro gulped. There was one way in, one way out. And that way out was blocked by the very last person they wanted to see.

They were caught.


	19. Chapter XVIII: Leaving Home Behind

Hiro felt his heart race. Here he was, so close to his goal, so close to freedom, cut off from his only exit by the last person he wanted to face. GoGo's shadow grew nearer by the second.

He nearly shrieked when Vanellope gave his arm a hit as she dove to the ground. She wormed her way underneath GoGo's cot, where the blankets were spilling over the side. Like a curtain that could hide two kids sneaking around. Hiro dove after her as quietly as he could. He'd just squeezed up to Vanellope behind the blankets as they heard the tent flaps open. Hiro squeezed his eyes shut and tried to will his heart to stop beating so loud as he held his breath. He felt Vanellope shift next to him and he opened one eye to see her trying to peek out from behind the blankets. Hiro thought his heart was going to explode out of his chest. He nearly shrieked again and quickly grabbed her hand, pulling it away from the blankets.

The shuffling of GoGo's shoes stopped. Hiro and Vanellope both waited in eerie silence as they listened for a reaction. Then, GoGo's footsteps came closer to the cot. Through the faint light shining through the blanket, he could just see GoGo's feet. There was more silence. GoGo prodded the blankets with her foot. Hiro wanted to scream as the blankets came only one inch away from his face. Then the blankets fell away to a comfortable distance as GoGo's foot retracted. The moments of imminent danger had passed. They heard her go over to the drawers and slide one open. Hiro wanted to breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that it wasn't the top drawer that needed the key. There was faint metallic clinking, a cocking sound before silence. Then the tent flapped again before they guessed that GoGo had exited the tent. Hiro and Vanellope could breathe again as they waited a few extra minutes to confirm that the danger had passed. Vanellope gently peeked out from behind the blankets.

Then, she burst out from underneath the cot with a gasp, sitting down before she collapsed into giddy somberness that they had eluded GoGo by inches. Hiro crawled out from underneath her legs and clutched at his hair, not believing what had just happened. "We need to go," she said. "Now. Like, right now," she wheezed.

Hiro nodded whole heartedly. "You couldn't have said it better," he said and stood. He pulled Vanellope up and they dashed out, making as fast as they could for the vehicle tent. "Man, I hope it hasn't been five minutes," he panted.

Vanellope stopped dead in front of him and he hit his head on hers. In front of them was GoGo. With her back to them. Vanellope quickly pulled Hiro behind a tent, breathing heavily. "That was so close," she breathed. "Too close." She looked up at Hiro. "Hey, there's something I have to say real fast. And it's super important, so don't even think about interrupting me." She drew in a breath. "Hiro, I told you that GoGo knows about you guys. Right? Right. And how did she know about you guys?" Vanellope trailed off and looked away. Hiro felt a sinking feeling in his gut as she opened her mouth. "Well...before I had a change of heart..." Vanellope let out a puff and bit her lip. "I told GoGo about you guys. You know?" She quickly let out a distressed groan and hid her face in her hands as she clutched her bangs. "I ratted you out! I was the rat. Oh my _gosh._ I'm so sorry Hiro!" she hissed. "I'm sorry, but we need to hurry." Vanellope towed the dumbfounded and confused Hiro along behind her as he tried to grasp his thoughts.

Vanellope had ratted them out? Somehow, he wasn't surprised. He could feel his face turn with a dark look. Disappointed. He wrenched his hand out of hers. "No. wait. Stop. What even?" he asked. "I mean, you rat us out, and now you're helping us. What's with that dramatic change of heart? This is off."

"Hiro, can we please discuss that later? We need to move!" she begged.

"No. We're gonna discuss it right here, right now. What happened?"

Vanellope let out a strangled scream and tugged her bangs. "Listen, buddy! I know you think that this sounds wonky and you have every right to think so! But if you want to get you and you're friends out of here alive and in time, I suggest we move our molasses and get to Tadashi and the others before it's too late. Are you going to argue?" Her tone of voice almost dared him to challenge her.

"We aren't taking one more step until you tell me everything that happened and why," he hissed. "If you're that worried about time, I'd start talking." He crossed his arms and tapped his foot to get his message across.

Vanellope clenched her hands into fists and squeezed her eyes shut. "Okay, fine! You idiot! I told GoGo, right? And she praised me and said I was loyal and all that yada-yada crap. Then told me that she's going to try to cut you guys off before you leave. And I don't know what she meant, but she said that when she catches you, she's going to make an example of you. I don't like the way that sounds, so I thought that I'd help you before GoGo makes that 'example.'" Vanellope glared at him. "Now are we going to move?" she gestured to the path ahead of them. "While we still can?"

Hiro let out a deep breath and started at a slow jog. "Vanellope, understand that I don't know what to make of you right now," he hissed as they jogged. "But until I do, I want you to shut up and not say anything to me. Got it?"

"You bet," Vanellope agreed. As they ran through the shadows of the tents, avoiding the fires and crowds, they saw the others dead ahead. Diana turned around when she heard them and then motioned for Tadashi and the others to stop.

Hiro caught up to them. "Keep going," he panted, his throat dry. "Move."

"Hiro, what's going on?" Jordan asked. "You're outta breath."

"Just move! Hurry!" he urged. "We're taking Vanellope's car." The others didn't know what was going on, but from the tone of his voice, they knew that it was probably more than likely vital that they move faster. They started at a slow jog, hoping that they would make it to the vehicle tent on time. Then, just as Hiro thought he might stop for a breath, the vehicle tent just poked into view. And right there stood Vanellope's silver suburban.

Vanellope took out her keys and was about to unlock her car, when before they could reach the tent, Andy and Wasabi leaped out with their guns raised. "DON'T MOVE!" Andy ordered.

The others screeched to a halt as Calhoun came up from behind, her gun aimed at them as well. "Don't shoot! DON'T SHOOT!" Jordan waved his hands, protesting.

It was chaos. Hiro and his friends were now trapped, surrounded, and they didn't know where to move, or even if they should move at all. Their eyes were blinded by the bright shine of the electric lanterns hung on poles around the edge of the camp. As Hiro held up a hand to shield his eyes, he was jostled by Vanellope and Jordan and he suddenly felt an arm snaking around his chest, which pulled him up against Tadashi. He found Aunt Cass next to him. "What's happening?" he asked frantically. No one cared to answer him.

"SHUT UP!" a cold voice called out from the darkness. Everybody froze as GoGo stepped into the light. She did not look like she was in a particularly friendly mood, but then again, she never did. She held the handle of her gun with one hand, having the butt of the gun pressed into her hip as she popped a pink gum bubble. "Hiro, I trusted you," she said and pointed the gun at him. "I let you under my wing, I helped you and your friends, I even promoted you to a patrol head. And how do you say 'thank you'?" she scoffed. "Just when I was starting to like you." She looked down at her gun for a second. "So what did you really expect to do? Go find that factory, stop all the Cybugs and save the day? Save all of humanity? And with what? A handful of friends, a Cybug battery, and a stupid, fat, robot that can't even kill a fly," she laughed. "Honestly, I would've chosen assets that weren't as _comical_ ," she spat.

Hiro bit his lip and slowly shrugged Tadashi's arm off his shoulders. "We're not that pathetic, you know. And we're going to do this. Somehow, we will. Or…" Hiro wasn't sure if he should add this part, but he finally decided to add it. "Or we'll die trying." He gave GoGo a defiant look.

GoGo laughed again. "Look at you! You can't even get out of this gang camp!" she waved a hand at them. "So how are you gonna save humanity like this?" Nobody answered. " _Hey_! I asked you a question! Give me a good reason, and I might actually let you guys go!" she challenged.

Deep down, Hiro knew that GoGo was never going to let them go. And he could be spared the chit chat for all he cared. He took a deep breath and stared her in the eyes. "I'm not going to give you an answer," he admitted. "But what I can tell you is that we are going to try as hard as we can, and there's no way you're gonna stop us."

"Oh, there's no way I can stop you!" she nodded her head knowingly. She leaned closer, all traces of sarcasm draining away. "I'm not sure if I've made my position _clear_ to you. Even after all the time you've spent here, you still don't know what I can do."

Hiro gulped. "Okay. Let me rephrase myself. Yes, you _can_ do something to stop us. You have the power, the brute force, and the loyalty of men and women and teens with guns that would probably shoot us at your signal. But even if you confine us, drag us out, or whatever you resort to, we would never give up trying," he said, pausing for breath. "We would still try, we'd still sneak out, and even if we tried a million times, each ending with confinement, we'd still keep trying."

"If you don't back off, I'll swear I'll drag you out." GoGo stopped him.

"GoGo, you're past that!" a voice spoke up from the crowd. GoGo and Hiro both turned to see Vanellope shoulder her way to the front. "Only the heartless monster of my sister would do that. You've changed!" She held out a hand. "Think. When was the last time you actually dragged someone out? You stopped because you realized it was murder. Don't resort to it again! Please," she pleaded.

"Van—?! What are you doing with them?" GoGo asked.

"I'm going with them."

GoGo straightened. "Ditching me for your boyfriend?" she raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were better, Vanellope," she scoffed. "You're my own sister, but in truth, you're no better than this idiot." She glared at her.

Vanellope opened her mouth to rebut, her eyes watering from being accused by her own sister, but she quickly shut her mouth, her lips trembling. She furiously blinked tears away.

"Look, kid," GoGo hissed. "If you try to leave by force, then I swear, as much as I love her cooking," GoGo instantly turned the gun and aimed at the head of Aunt Cass. "I'll start with your aunt," she threatened.

An uproar started as Hiro froze. Tadashi tried to jump in the way, but the others held them back. Wasabi threw his gun down on the ground. "NO!" he yelled. "I'm not going to work with you if you do this, GoGo!" he threatened back. "I never signed up for this!"

"That's okay, Sab," GoGo called. "You don't have to get your hands dirty. I'll do this myself."

Wasabi paled when he realized GoGo had just shrugged off his threat, which could've saved a life.

Aunt Cass breathed heavily as she stared down the barrel of the gun aimed at her head. Whimpering, she squeezed her eyes shut and prepared herself for death the best she could. She jolted when she felt a hand on her shoulder and snapped her eyes open. Hiro had a hand on her shoulder and moved in front of her and into the line of fire. "If you want to shoot her, you'll have to shoot me first," he said.

"Hiro, no. Stop it," she whispered frantically. "Don't be a hero, just move. I'll be okay," she reassured, knowing it might not be true. "Please, move."

"Hiro!" Tadashi pleaded from the back, his voice cracking. " _Please_!"

Hiro turned back to GoGo. "So what's the word? It's your call. You wanna be a murderer? Or do you wanna give us a chance to save this world? You don't like us. If we die, we'd just be taking dead weight off your hands."

"Except that you're taking my sister, my scientist, my cook, and my demolitionist." GoGo hefted her gun, unfazed. "I find no pleasure in doing this, but hey. You didn't give me a choice, huh?" she cocked the gun.

"NO!" Tadashi screamed.

Hiro swallowed his dinner, feeling the beads of sweat dripping down his face. He and Cass quickly locked their arms around each other and he pressed his face into her shoulder, trembling and awaiting a bullet hole in his back. "I love you, sweetie." Aunt Cass whispered in his ear.

"I love you too," He breathed.

GoGo fingered the trigger. "This was your choice, kid."

She froze when the sound of a gun cocking clicked right next to her ear. "I wouldn't do that if I was you." Diana stepped from behind her, keeping the gun aimed at GoGo's head. "Now, put down the gun and let's not end any lives tonight. Don't you agree?" she cocked her head.

GoGo chuckled. "The moment for revenge, right? After all this time, you can kill me for dragging your sister out." She gave her a sickeningly sweet smile. "Well go ahead." She nodded at the gun. "You'll turn into me the second you pull it. Won't that be something to be proud of?"

Diana shook her head and let out a breath. "No," she muttered. "I'm not a monster. You are. You're a killer, you're a murderer, you're a horror, and you have too much blood on your hands. I'm not, and I don't. And I will _never become what you are_!" she yelled. "If I pull the trigger, you _deserve it_!"

GoGo laughed. "You know, you're probably right." She leaned a little closer. "It takes a lot for me to admit I'm wrong. So you can be proud of yourself when you kill me," she grinned. Diana trembled all over, her sweaty finger brushed the hooked stub of metal. She struggled to keep the gun straight. She finally let out a loud yell and pulled the trigger.

GoGo flinched as the ground next to her foot exploded in a cloud of dust.

Diana pointed the gun down. "I will _never_ be like you. I'll never be proud to be a killer. And if _you_ are, you're _sick_ ," she snarled.

GoGo smiled. "You know, I expected you to pull that trigger. That you'd be a real woman and get your hands messy. But no." She popped a gum bubble. "Hiro has turned you all into cowards and _babies_ who can't do anything. He's confused your identity, and he's been telling you lies. You really think you're gonna be able to kill all these Cybugs? Call me when it happens! But guess what? It _never will._ You know how I know?" she made eye contact with all of them. "You don't have what it takes. You're just a rag tag band of teens with guns. You've never taken a life. You've never had blood on your hands. You get ahead of yourselves, and you confuse dreams with reality. You can't get a grip because you're all idiots and traitors. I expected better from all of you. _All_ of you. Especially you." She pointed at Vanellope. "I thought you were better."

Vanellope was silent, knowing that everyone was watching her. "No," she mumbled, no louder than a whisper. "No, I thought you were better, Go," she sniffed and looked up. "I'm doing this because I don't want to see any of us fighting these darned bugs for the rest of our lives. I don't want to see children born into this world, raised to fight as soon as they can hold a gun. I don't want our world decay like this. I don't want to see any of us turn against each other in some sort of fight for survival. I don't want to see family turn against each other, and I can't bear it when I see it happening. I can't bear it when I see it in you, Go." Tears were spilling over her cheeks, but her eyes glared up at GoGo defiantly. "Trimming numbers? Dragging out? Even the whole cursed 'gang' idea? It's all crap. If we were all working with each other, we wouldn't be turning against each other or killing each other off. I hate it." Her voice cracked.

Hiro stared at her wide-eyed as she spilled tears and sobbed. "Vanellope—"

"I'M NOT FINISHED YET!" she screamed. She pointed at her stunned sister. "You're disappointed in me? Because I'm not loyal? If anyone should be disappointed, it's me." She sniffed. "You let _me_ down. You weren't there for me. You were busy trying to _survive_ , you completely left your only family behind!" She shook her head. "I can't stay here because I won't stand that. I'm leaving. And I'm not doing it for Hiro, I'm not doing it because I _want_ to, no, I'm doing this for you," she sniffed. "I am loyal, GoGo. And I'm going to prove it by trying to save you all. Even if you don't see it that way." She finally collapsed into a fit of sobs, burying her face in her arm. She turned to Diana and cried while Di held her closer.

GoGo blinked at the sight of seeing her little sister so distraught. She let out a breath and turned back to Hiro, who was glaring up at her. "Look at that," he said simply and held out a hand. " _Look_ at that, GoGo. Did you hear that? Did you hear _anything_ that she just said? She's doing this for the greater good, and she's doing this for you." He shook his head. "I can't believe you can't see that she loves you." He looked away to Vanellope. "She loves you GoGo, and you accuse her of being disloyal? Of being a deserter? Traitor? Worthy of being dragged out? Can you imagine how you would feel if someone you loved dumped that all on you?" He let out a breath. "Forget it," he said and put an arm around Aunt Cass, gently nudging her to Tadashi. He shouldered a bag that someone had dropped. "If you don't understand, then you can't understand what we're doing. There are just some things some can't understand. At least not yet," he sighed. "One of the things that's vital about being a leader is that you have to know when to step down to someone else's ideas, because no one person has all the answers." He turned back to GoGo. "You need to step down and trust us." He hefted the bag. "But I'm sorry if taking Vanellope with me hurts you. I promise, if you're right, and this whole thing ends as a catastrophe…I promise that I'll get Vanellope back to you safe." With that, he turned and started walking to the suburban. With a tearful sniff, Vanellope produced the keys and placed them in Hiro's hand. He opened the car and everybody got in silently.

Calhoun and Andy watched GoGo intently, waiting for some signal to shoot, but GoGo just watched them as they loaded up. Ralph came along, huffing. "Guys? I wasn't sure if you were going to get me, or—whoa." He stopped when he saw GoGo and the others pointing guns at his friends. "Guys? There…there people with guns and they're…" he stopped when he realized they were aware of the guns trained on their backs. Silently, he joined and them and helped them load up.

When they finally got into the car, Aunt Cass in front and Diana behind the wheel, Vanellope, Honey Lemon, and Fred in the trunk. They slowly started the car up and drove away. GoGo watched, amazed and sorry at the same time as they slowly sped into the night. The last thing she saw was Vanellope's pained face as she looked over her shoulder one more time. Her eyes were shining with the tears. GoGo stared into those eyes as they slowly disappeared into the distance. The car drove off.

Inside the suburban, Hiro slumped in the seat next to Tadashi. No one had really bother to put on seatbelts. Jordan put a hand on Hiro's shoulder and gave him a shove. "You scared me there, dude," he whistled. "I mean, I thought I might actually crap my pants. Thank God I didn't."

Tadashi sighed and slung an arm around Hiro's shoulders. "You nearly gave me a heart attack," he remarked. "I was scared so bad when you stepped up." He buried his face into Hiro's hair. "I'm just glad she didn't give you a hole in your chest." He set a relieved hand on Hiro's chest and gave it a pat. "I really thought it was it for you."

Hiro closed his eyes and leaned against Tadashi's shoulder. "I'm sorry for scaring you guys," he murmured.

Tadashi rubbed his shoulder. "Hey," he said softly. Hiro looked up at him. Tadashi set a hand on Hiro's head and held it so he could look Hiro directly in the eyes. He smiled. "I'm really proud of you, bonehead." He ruffled his hair. "I don't think I would've had the guts to do that. But you made me really proud."

Hiro looked down. "Then…" he started quietly, "Why do _I_ not feel proud about what I did?" he asked, waiting for an answer.

Tadashi pulled Hiro against his side again and resumed rubbing his shoulder. "It's okay if you don't," he breathed and gave his shoulder a few pats. "But I'm glad you're still here."

Hiro just let out a breath and closed his eyes again. "Me too."

"Guys. Guess what?" Diana called from up front.

"What happened?" Ralph asked. "You forgot some science mud?"

Diana smirked to herself and gripped the wheel. "You will _never_ be able to guess what I managed to snag before we skedaddled."

( 0—0 )

"We could've stopped them! And you just let them pack up and go like they were going to see the circus! Why didn't you give us the signal?!" Andy exploded

"SHUT UP!" GoGo roared up at him. "Back talking now, are we? If I'd wanted them pinned down, I would've told you."

"Oh, getting emotional now, are we?" Calhoun asked skeptically. "That didn't have anything to do with your sister's speech, did it? Or were you just holding us in suspense?"

GoGo glared up at Calhoun and Andy, cornered. "HEY!" she yelled. "I know what I'm doing," she said coolly. "And If you disagree, tell me right now." They were silent. GoGo held up her arms. "Anybody? Anybody wanna challenge me? Or are you going to shut up and listen now?" Still no reply. She raised an eyebrow, waiting, daunting. "Good," she let out a breath. "We're going after them."

"What?" Calhoun, Andy, and Wasabi all said in unison.

GoGo looked at all of them. "I'm not about to let that _boy_ just waltz outta here with my sister, my scientist, my ham-handed demolitionist, and my cook. Okay? I mean, he just took way too many key players, and I'm not going to stand for that."

"And you could've proved it one minute ago by giving us the signal."

GoGo let out a huff. "Noted, _Calhoun._ " She stalked away, wiggling a finger for them to follow her. "We're going to be taking a car, but we're also going to be taking something else." They stopped in front of her tent as she walked inside. She emerged with a sleek, yellow bike and leaned against the handle bars. "I'm going to be taking this baby here, and Calhoun will scout ahead with…" she went into the tent. She didn't come out until ten minutes later, looking flustered. "They stole a cruiser," she growled.

"What?" Calhoun nearly dropped her gun. "Who would steal a cruiser? We four are the only ones who know about them!" she explained.

The cruisers were a project that was shared between only GoGo, Calhoun, Wasabi, and Andy. They were meant to be a means of fast transportation and were a rather ingenious idea. Making a hover board into reality. Wasabi had been a generous supplier of ideas, among other things. Wasabi sighed. "No, we're not," he mumbled and held up a finger. "There was one other person who helped us create them. In fact, she designed them and drew the blueprints."

GoGo let out a breath. "Diana."

 **Sorry this got a little sappy der** **unless you like sap** **…I wrote this when I was 12 or smth so I thought this was amazing. Coming back to it at age 14 and…yeh I left it for dead aNYWAY SO YEAH! Hope you're liking this so far, and bear with me, we're just getting to the good stuff…not to mention the better-written stuff *cough cough***


	20. Chapter XIX: First Day

"Set."

"Oh. Set."

"Wait, let me see? Oh, that's not a set. Those two are both squiggles. See? Ooooh, gotta give one up. Choose wisely."

"Not that it matters, Jordan."

Hiro slowly fluttered his eyes open. He let out a small groan and shifted his position. Just then, he realized how much his neck hurt from sleeping upright. He rubbed the ache and looked out the window. The sky was a dark blue, lightening with the morning sun. He blinked. He was looking out the window. Jordan should've been in between him and the window. Where was… He let out a breath and tried to twist in his seat to look in the trunk. He then became aware of arms around his shoulders. Gently shrugging off the still-sleeping Tadashi, he twisted around.

In the trunk, Vanellope, Jordan, Fred, and Honey Lemon were playing set. They had cleared a space in the center of the trunk to place the cards, and from the looks of it, Jordan was winning. Honey looked up. "Hi, Hiro." She whispered. "We were having trouble sleeping, so we started a game of set. Do you wanna play? I'm positive we could make room."

Hiro shook his head and held up his hand. "Oh. No thanks. I'm good." He looked over at the cards. "Oh. Set." He pointed.

"Hey, you're not playing," Fred accused and quickly averted his eyes, starting to scan the cards for Hiro's set.

"I was joking." Hiro grinned. "How long have you guys been up?" he asked.

"I woke up first, and then the others came around at about…I dunno, guys. What do you think? 5:30?" Jordan scratched his head.

"So…was it too uncomfortable in the back?" Hiro asked.

"Ah, no. It's good." Fred waved his hand. "You see, if you arrange these bags like so, then you get, like, this giant, awesome heap of squishiness. It's great."

Hiro nodded. "Did you guys sleep well? Besides waking up early."

"I slept great. Until we hit, like, this rut or something. That's when I woke up and joined these guys in the back," Jordan shrugged.

"I was okay," Honey Lemon added. Fred nodded.

Vanellope was still silent. Hiro looked at her. "Um…Vanellope?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "What? Oh, I slept okay." She stared at the cards, fingering a card with three, green, striped, ovals.

Hiro knew she wasn't looking for a set. "Okay." He nodded. "Hey, Honey, could you pass me that bag over there?" he pointed.

"Sure." Honey hefted the gray duffle bag. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Hiro took the bag and sat back down again, zipping it open.

Tadashi stirred. "Mm…Hey," he groaned. He stretched and rubbed his face groggily. "My neck is going to need a massage if I keep this up."

Hiro rummaged through the bag. "Where did I…?"

Tadashi looked out the window. "Where's Jordan?"

"In the back with the others. They're playing set," Hiro replied quietly.

"Mm." Tadashi rubbed his neck.

"Good morning," Honey Lemon piped up. "Sleep well?" she asked.

Tadashi nodded. "Sort of."

Honey smiled. "I didn't get much sleep either," she chuckled and ducked back into the trunk. "Set," she called out quietly.

Tadashi looked down at Hiro. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for something," Hiro muttered.

Tadashi sighed and leaned against Hiro. "Wake me if you need me."

Hiro scoffed and shook his head slightly. "Nerd." He dug around some more, pushing his fingers into the folds, nooks, and crannies of his duffle bag.

Tadashi opened one eye. "Hey, is that a picture of us?" he asked.

Hiro looked up at him. "Huh? What…oh. That. Yeah," he said, holding up a picture of Tadashi being hugged by Aunt Cass, while Hiro was hoisted high on her shoulders. Tadashi picked it up. Squirt little Hiro. And dang, he looked good for a tween. He smiled fondly down at the picture before placing it back in Hiro's bag.

"Ah." Hiro pulled out a device with a black screen.

His phone.

Tadashi looked down to see what Hiro had found. He sat upright. "Hiro Isao Hamada!" he scolded quietly. "How long have you had that thing?"

"Since I was ten," he replied sarcastically. He turned it on. Vibrating, the screen lit up and came to life.

Tadashi blinked, stunned. "It still turns on?"

"I hooked it up to a generator. Even then, I never used it unless I had to."

"You hooked it up to a _generator_? Hiro! Those were for critical machines only! Does GoGo know?"

Hiro sputtered and chuckled. "If she knew, she would've taken this away from me a long time ago." Tadashi watched as Hiro's home screen was unlocked, decked with widgets. On the background, they were both dressed as Wirt and Greg from Over the Garden Wall. Mochi didn't look happy in a frog costume.

"You still have that?"

"Mm hm," Hiro nodded. You looked so dashing in that gnome hat, I had to keep it," he said and scrolled through the eleven pages of widgets.

"Ha, ha, hilarious," Tadashi scoffed. "If anything, _you_ looked dashing in those green, puffy, coveralls with a teapot on your head."

"Don't remind me." Hiro clicked the google maps widget.

"You don't actually think you're going to get reception out here, do you?"

"It's worth a shot," Hiro muttered. A little window popped up, telling them that they were offline. " _Shoot_ ," he hissed. "I guess the Cybugs destroyed the internet towers, anyway. Man."

"And do what?"

"With any luck, I was going to see if the metal company was still on the maps." He groaned and shut his phone off.

Tadashi looked out the window again. The bland scenery before him was calm. Nothing moved, nothing stirred. "I wonder if the satellites are taking pictures of us right now," he thought aloud. "I don't think the maps would look very pleasant. With any luck, we'll look like Texas. Or we could look like the Sahara."

Hiro blinked, motionless as something clicked in his brain. He lifted his head. "Tadashi…" he said slowly. "Say that again."

"Uhhh…I said with any luck, we'll look like Texas."

Hiro shook his head. "No. Not that. Pictures. Satellites."

"I wonder if the satellites are taking pictures," he repeated.

Hiro paused. _Satellites. Pictures. Maps._ He thought it through. Maps. Satellites. "Hold up. Maps. _Maps._ Maps, maps," he muttered to himself, snapping his fingers, trying to form something from all the randomness in his head.

His brother raised his eyebrows. "Did…I just give you an idea?"

Hiro muttered to himself a little more. "Yeah. Yeah, yes. _Yes._ YES!" he finally called aloud. Louder than he should've.

Ralph woke up. "I'M INNOCENT! IT WAS THE COOK!" he yelled.

Aunt Cass and Diana followed. "Hiro? Sweetie, what's going on?" Aunt Cass groaned and rubbed her face, turning around to look at him. Diana stretched.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Hiro repeated. "Tadashi, you're a genius! No. No, you're a nerd. Yes!" He shoved his phone back into his bags. "Guys, do you think there any GPS's out there?" he asked.

Diana shrugged. "Well, sure. Tons. I'm not sure if they work or are even recognizable, though. Spill the beans, Hiro."

Hiro ran his fingers through his hair. "Satellites are still working. Right?"

"I don't see why they wouldn't be," Jordan piped up from the back, in on the conversation. "It's not like the Cybugs are in space. Are they?"

Hiro nodded. "Right. Now. I was just on my phone, and—"

"You were on your phone?" Diana accused. "And just how did it stay alive this whole time? I'm curious."

"That doesn't matter. The internet wasn't working. Cybugs probably wrecked the towers, so I couldn't get onto google maps to find the factory."

"But if the satellites were taking pictures and sending them to us to upgrade the maps, it wouldn't matter because whoever receives the images is probably dead or their lab is gone. So the GPS would still read where the factory would be and we could find it using a GPS!" Diana caught on excitedly.

"Yes! YES!" Hiro nodded.

"I hate to break up the excitement, but where are we going to find a GPS?" Vanellope asked. The first time she'd actually wanted to speak since last night. "We'd have to find one that's undamaged."

The car fell silent. They looked at each other awkwardly. There probably weren't many undamaged GPS's out there. "We'll just have to find one that's not damaged, then," Hiro said simply.

Vanellope smiled for the first time since last night. "Then let's do this."

"But guys, we still have to _find_ one, working or not," Ralph pointed out.

"And my best guess is that we're not going to find one out here," Diana said, drumming her fingers on the wheel. "Looks like our first stop is going to be the ruins."

( l—l )

Sighing, Vanellope looked out the trunk window as the world whizzed past with clouds of dust. The ruins should be more exciting in her mind, and it was, but…she wasn't anxious to go there any time soon, even if it meant finding a GPS. The others in that back had taken themselves up with playing _would you rather_. She thought Fred and Jordan were going to scare Honey out of her wits sooner or later with all this dumping gasoline on yourself and eating fire ants with habaneros. She looked over her shoulder to see Ralph talking with Hiro about the GPS and other stuff she couldn't hear. Good ol' buddy Ralph. Idiot, total numbskull, selfish diaper baby, and stink brain. But friend, nonetheless. She smiled and looked out the window again. Something had been bothering her lately. Bothering her a lot. Her sister had just let them go without a fight. Without a _fight._ That wasn't like her. _At. All._ Which meant either something was up, or something was going to be up soon. She hoped they didn't have to find out.

"So! Would you rather… have five gallon-buckets-worth of snot and phlegm poured into your throat, or…would you rather hack up five gallon-buckets-worth of snot and phlegm into your friend's throat?" Jordan wiggled his eyebrows and grinned smugly.

Honey Lemon looked like she was going to puke. She covered her mouth with her hands. " _Jordan_! How could you suggest something like that! Ew! That's gross." She shook her head. "No. No, no, no. Nope. Nope, nope, nope, nope, no. No, NO, no, no, nope, nope, nope, NOPE, NOPE, NO! I'm not going to pick one," she said firmly. "You can't make me."

"Oh yes I can. Watch and weep." Jordan suddenly stabbed himself with an invisible knife and dropped to the floor, writhing in fake agony and pain. Honey looked on doubtfully. When Jordan had finished writhing, gagging, making strangled noises and dragging himself on the floor, he closed his eyes and stuck his tongue out. A minute passed. He opened on eye. "So what's it gonna be?"

Honey Lemon smoothed her shirt. "Ooookay. I think I'm done with this game for now," she said and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Aw come on! That was so realistic!" Jordan protested.

"Could somebody please just slap him for me?" Diana asked.

Hiro gave Jordan a hit over the head.

They both suddenly jolted as the car screeched to a stop. Fred crashed face first into backs of the seats. Diana gave a loud hoot. "Alright gang!" She clapped her hands. "Lunch break! Crack out the ham sandwiches!"

"Only, we don't _have_ ham sandwiches," Tadashi piped up.

Diana blinked. "Right. And a good thing, too, because I never liked ham sandwiches." She rubbed her hands together. "But if it had pickles and mustard, it was the sandwich for me, regardless of the calories."

"Ew! Mustard and pickles?" Ralph wrinkled up his face. "That stinks!"

"Here we go!" Honey held up a small lunch cooler. "There's something in here." She zipped it open and took a peek inside. "Okay, uh, today, the menu is…" She took out a plastic wrapped triangle. "Hmm. I think this is…" She unwrapped it and inspected it. "Well, it's a sandwich. I know that much. I believe it's…I think it's grilled chicken and cheese. I think."

"Yep. With grilled onions, too," Aunt Cass added.

"WHOA MY—! Sounds good to me," Hiro said nonchalantly.

"Let's eat, then! Bon appetite." Diana flicked a thumbs-up. "It doesn't have mustard or pickles, by any chance, does it?" she asked hopefully.

Honey shook her head. "No. But I can't say I'm sorry." She tossed the plastic wrapped sandwiches over the seats as they got passed down to the front. Ralph had to duck.

"Don't think anyone will mind if I ask for seconds?" Jordan asked after taking a bite. "Will they?"

Tadashi took a nibble and then suddenly let out a startling cough, making a scrunched-up face and doubling over, coughing. Everyone in the van froze. Tadashi make hacking and gagging sounds before he slouched, breathing heavily. Hiro shrieked in a high-pitched voice and jumped back, inching away from him. "Gwawk. Ough." He clutched his stomach. "Aunt Cass, that's terrible." He turned around to everyone else. "Don't go through the same misery I did. Hand over your sandwiches to me and I shall dispose of them." Tadashi said dead serious.

Hiro then burst out laughing. "NO WAY!"

The tension was released when they realized he'd been joking. Aunt Cass clicked her tongue. "You boys. Stop giving everyone a heart attack! Just eat. Eat, eat. And enough with the acts, Tadashi."

Tadashi and Hiro snickered to themselves.

Vanellope added a little hit over the head. "Get outta here! You nearly scared me half to death, you! I THOUGHT YOU WERE CHOKING! But whoa. Hey. Where's my sandwich?" she looked around herself.

"Misplaaaaced!" Jordan sang and tossed the sandwich to her. "I stole it."

"You sneak." She tore off the plastic wrap and took a wolfing bite.

Hiro's face looked like it'd melted when he chewed and swallowed. "Aunt Cass, I want to marry this sandwich. Make it every day please?"

"Well I'm glad you like it," Cass called back to him. "But not every day. You'll get sick. What _you_ need to eat is _carrots._ "

Hiro stopped mid-chew. He groaned and hunched over. "I hate carrots."

"Awww," Jordan mumbled. "I hate carrots."

"Not you, Jordan."

"Oh! That's all well, then."

( l—l )

The car pressed on as lunch wore into the late noon. Then, they slowly came to a stop. "Di? What's going on?" Ralph asked, peering ahead. "Why did we stop?"

Di sighed and fell back into her seat. "We're here," she announced glumly. Everyone scrambled to look out their windows. Looming in front of them at a distance, the ruins stared back at them reluctantly. The hot breeze blew across the stretch of dry ground that stood between them.

Hiro sighed. "I say park the car here and some of us go in there while a few stay at the car."

The others just shrugged and mumbled a few "okay"s and "sounds good"s. Diana turned around and looked at them. "Alright. We're gonna separate in two groups. We're gonna have Hiro's group, and then we're gonna have Tadashi's group. Those of us who are more experienced in combat will go with Hiro. The rest will stay here."

Thus, they were separated. Ralph, Di, Jordan, and Vanellope went with Hiro, while Cass, Honey, and Fred stayed with Tadashi. Cass gave Hiro a squeeze before he went. "Stay safe, sweetie."

"I will," Hiro promised.

Tadashi clamped Hiro on the shoulder. "Hey look. I'm gonna be expecting a GPS when you get back, yeah?"

Hiro grinned and clamped Tadashi's shoulder. "Count on it."

( l—l )

"We couldn't have parked a little closer," Jordan panted after about ten minutes into the trek to the ruins.

"Nope," Di answered. "Too close to the Cybugs."

"Huh."

When they finally stood on the very edge of the city, just where the streets became buried with sand, they looked up. The skyscrapers greeted them silently. Hiro let out a breath and moved on. "Let's go."

They headed into the city, the skyscrapers towering like walls blocking them in on all sides except for one way in, one way out. No sun made it past the dark shadows cast across the streets, making the ruins even more menacing. Vanellope shivered, drawing her hoodie closer.

"So…we are looking for what? Exactly?" Ralph asked, craning his neck to look up. "A GPS, right? Where are we gonna find one?"

Hiro sucked in a breath. "Actually, I was hoping we could find an electronics store and check there," he admitted. "I'm making this up as I go."

Di snickered. "Reassuring."

"Who's got suggestions?" Hiro asked.

There was silence behind him. "Best Buy?" Vanellope peeped.

"I'm surprised nobody suggested Tech & Ware," Hiro murmured, rubbing his neck. "Has anybody ever been to Tech & Ware?" he asked.

There were no answers. Nevertheless, Hiro lead the way to the warehouse. There were crashed shopping carts strewn across the tiled floor and the lights didn't even work anymore. Most of the merch was either broken or lying on the ground. Hiro and the others look around. They set out, looking for an undamaged GPS, but none was found.

Two hours passed. "I'm sure the others are getting worried about us by now," Di remarked and turned over a wrecked display of computer mice and USB drives with her combat boot. "I don't think there is one GPS in here that's not totaled," she sighed.

A hysterical fit of laughter echoed from one of the far corners of the store. Everybody lifted their head to see Jordan walking toward them, choking on giggles. He walked over almost like he was a zombie and barely had the strength to stand. He wiped his eyes and tried to silence himself enough to speak. "Di, you have timing. Hah, hah, HAHAHAHAHA!" He doubled over and the others looked on in bewilderment. Shakily, Jordan lifted a hand.

In it was a new GPS in an undamaged plastic package.

Hiro, Vanellope, Ralph, and Di all leapt upon him like a pack of blood-thirsty, ravage, wild wolves. They all fought to rip the GPS out of his hand, to prove him wrong and point out damage. Ralph of course, got his hands on it first and held it up high above the others. He looked it over, keeping the reaching hands at bay. Ignoring the others, he casually made little 'mm's and 'hmm's and 'uh huh' noises. It drove them insane. He let Hiro face-plant into his massive palm. "It looks like Jordan's right."

Hiro finally broke through the tangled mass of arms and snatched the GPS out of his hands. He bent over and examined it while Diana and Vanellope peered over his shoulders. "Holy crap! It's not broken!"

"We needed a genius to figure that out," Jordan blew a raspberry.

"No. Nuh uh." Vanellope grabbed it and examined it. "No. Nuh. Uh."

Di grabbed it next. "HE'S RIGHT!" she hooted.

"There will be damage if you all keep grabbing it! Hands off! Lemme hold it." Ralph snatched it out of her hands. "Alright. What's the next step?" he asked. "We got the GPS, now we need…"

Hiro thought it over. "It doesn't come with batteries?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Then we need to take it back and give it batteries before we can do anything with it. It should be connected to the satellite."

Fueled by excitement and giddy anticipation, they jogged their way back to the car, and Jordan didn't even break a sweat this time. "WE GOT IT!" Vanellope screamed.

"No way! Good for you!" Cass exclaimed.

Ralph held it up. "We never would've found it if it weren't for…Jordan." He waved a hand at him. Jordan bowed with a flourish. "We hoped you weren't worried about us."

"No, not at all," Fred said casually.

Ralph gave him a look. "Thanks."

"We knew you guys would pull through," Tadashi said.

"Nobody got hurt?" Honey asked. "Otherwise, you'd all be really scared and dragging someone here calling for me, right?"

"No casualties." Jordan held out his hand. "Pain and danger has nothing on me."

"So batteries?" Vanellope reminded them all.

"Girl, I was waiting for somebody to tell the boys." Di held out her hand and Vanellope gave her a high five. She snatched the package from Ralph, looking it over. "Says double A's. We got some of those, right?" she looked up.

"Oh yeah! Sure we do! At least, we should." Fred dove into one of the bags. Honey watched him delve through junk and nick-knacks, thingamabobs and whazzits. He pulled out a package of double A's and tossed them to Honey, who tossed them to Tadashi, who tossed them to Ralph, who handed them to Diana.

The car went silent as she wrestled the GPS out of the plastic and instruction manuals. She popped the back off and slid two batteries inside, pressing the back firmly in place. Then, sucking in a breath, she pressed the power button.

The screen lit up. A little tinkly trill filled the car and the logo popped up. They all looked at each other in excitement. Diana punched Jordan in the shoulder. "Nice going."

" **Please enter starting point** ," The GPS asked in a monotonous tone.

"Okay. Where are we?" Diana asked.

Vanellope just shrugged. "Beats me."

"Outside of the city?" Honey Lemon suggested.

"Ooh! I got it! In this _universe_ ," Fred said cryptically.

"Seriously. I can't enter 'in this universe' into this thing. Where are we?"

"Di, I have no idea," Ralph sighed apologetically.

"Maybe we should drive somewhere and like…a coffee shop and then enter that in," Honey suggested. "That might work."

"Honey Lemon, my dear, you just might be a genius." Di quickly set the GPS down and vaulted into the driver's seat. "ALRIGHT! Where are we headin'?"

"Why not head back to the store you found the GPS at again?" Honey shrugged.

And they were off. Five minutes later at 50 mph and not crashing into anything, they jerked to a stop in front of the store. "I'm getting excited! Guys, hold up. I have to take a pit stop. If I don't, I'm gonna burst." Di shivered with anticipation as jumped out of the car, heading into the store.

"I do, too." Fred opened the trunk and hopped out. Then he looked back at them. "Could one of you guys come with me? Or two?" he asked hopefully.

Hiro sighed. "I'll do it."

Honey Lemon followed him and they crawled out as Fred lead the way into the store. Hiro couldn't help but look up at the giant, dead neon that would glow come nightfall. He sighed and pushed through the automatic doors. "It's so quiet," Honey whispered and gently stepped over a spilling can of varnish.

"Okay. You. Stand by the door like a body guard," Fred commanded, grabbing Hiro by the shoulders and planting him by the men's room door as he dashed inside.

Hiro sighed again. "Fine." He watched as Honey Lemon curiously edged into an aisle, looking down the shelves. Hiro peered after her. "Honey?" he asked.

Honey Lemon's black flat disappeared from his view. He left his Fred-given post and wandered into the aisle after her. "Whatcha find?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing." Honey Lemon was staring at rows of bottles with different liquids, some the size of gallons, other less than a quart.

Hiro shrugged and looked at the aisle name. The sign was no longer attached to the roof. As he brought his head back down to look at Honey, he just saw noticed her fingers slip something into her bag. He furrowed his brow. "What was that?"

"Hm?" Honey turned innocently to look down at him. "What was what?"

"That thing you just stuck in your bag."

"What…oh," she laughed and shrugged it off. "Just my good luck charm." She smiled sweetly at him and stuck her hand into her bag, pulling out a small, glass charm in the shape of a chibi panda. "See?"

Hiro inspected it. It didn't look like what she had stuck in her bag, but he could be wrong. He nodded. "Cute."

Honey nodded with a giggle and replaced her panda, walking out of the aisle.

Hiro blinked, confused, turning to look after her as she waited by the men's room. He looked back at the bottles. He wasn't imagining things… the bottles didn't look out of the ordinary. He stared at the shelf for a long time until Di burst out like a super hero. "Man! Now I'm ready for anything!" she said.

Fred came out as well. "Ready."

"Okay," Honey said and the three started to walk to the doors. "Coming, Hiro?" she asked, looked back at him.

Hiro quickly nodded and ran to catch up with them. As they passed the aisle they had been I a few minutes earlier, he spied a ceiling sign that had broken, crashed to the ground. It was broken, but he could make out a few words.

G ses, Ac em ls

Hiro blinked. Gses, acis, n cemls. Gases, acids, and chemicals. He glanced back at Honey Lemon, who kept walking and putting on a face. Hiro could feel his eyes narrow a bit. He followed them a little suspiciously as they hopped into the van.

( l—l )

They had entered in the starting point and the metal factory. Their hopes soared as it laid in a route for them to follow with a purple arrow. There was an excited air in the car that seemed to spread to everyone, even Hiro who'd finally shrugged of Honey's weird behavior. He was now absorbed in where they were going. They were getting closer and closer to the factory with each second, it excited him just as much as it excited Fred that he was superior in his knowledge of Marvel and DC Comic superheroes. Their excitement was cut off abruptly when their car screeched to a halt. Aunt Cass shrieked and the trunkers (those in the trunk) struggled to peek over everybody else's heads. Hiro felt a sinking feeling in his stomach that almost threatened his lunch to make a reappearance.

Honey Lemon murmured something in Spanish and went pale.

Straight ahead of them was a dead end, barricaded by a huge wall of wreckage and a collapsed building. On top of that was a pack of Cybugs, who'd all turned their glowing green eyes on them. Di felt faint. "Oh God. Help us."

 **Looks like they're not doing too well on their own so far... thank you for reading! 3**


	21. Chapter XX: Shady Bargains

There was a loud screeching as Di slammed her foot on the pedal as hard as she could, spinning the wheel until it couldn't budge. The car suddenly revved to life and spun around in a wide circle, throwing the inhabitants into chaos as they were roughly thrown and tossed inside the car like croutons on a salad. Tadashi crashed into his window while Hiro crashed into him and Jordan crashed into Hiro. Since none had seat belts, some slid off their seats and fell to the floor. Diana let out a shriek when the car refused to stop spinning. Honey and Vanellope screamed when the car almost ran into a building, skidding along the sidewalk. Sparks flew off the side of the suburban as the bricks left long scrapes. When the car veered back into the street, they all sat upright again. Vanellope turned around to see that the pack of Cybugs were on their heels. She panted heavily, not sure how to feel about death. Honey Lemon gripped her by the shoulders, hugging her as they both screamed in terror. The Cybugs were gaining on them and one was close enough stare the two girls right in the eyes. What was worse was that one of the Cybugs had the face of an elderly woman, whose lines and wrinkles around her ghastly green eyes and fangs added it's horror.

Di made an abrupt turn down the street so hard that Jordan was flung into the trunk on top of the unsuspecting Fred. Tadashi was flung against Hiro and they nearly fell to the floor. Hiro's arms flailed madly as he tried to grab Tadashi, hoping for some sort of anchor to keep him in place. Hair shaken out of his ponytail and into his face, Hiro tried to force his eyes closed, but they were glued open with fright when he finally managed to latch himself to Tadashi's arm. He could hear Aunt Cass scream and tried to wrap his mind around what was going on and if he was still alive.

Di made another turn and the two brothers were flung against the row of seats in front of them and they fell to the floor. Tadashi wrapped his arms around Hiro and they curled into a ball. He felt his throat tighten in his chest until it hurt to breath.

"WHERE ARE WE GOING!?" Ralph asked

"ANYWHERE BUT HERE!" Diana screamed back.

"DIANA! ¡Por favor prisa! ¡Más rápidamente!" Honey Lemon begged.

"I'M TRYING!" Diana replied.

Fred stared, transfixed on the Cybugs. This no longer seemed like a game to him. More like a horror movie coming to reality.

" _I suddenly feel religious_ …" Jordan whispered, pale. He pressed himself up against the backs of the seats and screamed as one of the Cybugs tried to break the back window.

Ralph stood up in his seat and pushed his way to the door. Cass turned around to watch him. "What are you doing?!" she asked as he flung it open.

"A fluke, probably," he replied. He watched as an oncoming building sped closing. "DI! Drive us onto the sidewalk, as close as you can get!" With one hand clenching the car frame and the other held out, Ralph braced himself. His fist crashed into the worn wall of the building and a spray of rubble and dust flew into the car. As they drove by, Ralph's fist left a huge trench through the wall. Cass suddenly felt worried when a loud creak filled the air.

"Oh…no," Fred said slowly. The building had barely been standing upright on its broken, breaking foundation. It being a rather short but skinny building, it started to topple. "That…doesn't sound good," he concluded solemnly.

"¡MÁS RÁPIDAMENTE!" Honey screamed.

Di pressed her foot down a little more. Hiro and Tadashi elbowed and kneed each other until they scrambled into their seats. Hiro turned around to watch as the building slowly toppled and fell onto the street with a loud crash. It managed to crush one Cybug while the rest were trapped. Jordan gave a hoot and a few fist pumps. They flew out of the ruin's shadows. The sun made some of them squint long enough to realize that they were past danger.

Vanellope whooped. "You GOT those suckers, Ralph-ol'-buddy!"

The car screeched to a halt. Di let out a breath and slumped in her seat. "No more driving," she decided with a cut-off of her hand. "No more. Nope."

"Uuuh…Diana?" Fred asked in a wavering voice. "We've got a problem…" They all turned. The Cybugs had fought their way out from underneath the building or over it and were still making their way towards them. "We still…have visitors," he gulped.

Diana swore under her breath. "Alright ladies!" she shouted and stood on her knees, turning to look at all of them. "Let's tell those bugs they're not welcome! JORDAN!" she hollered. "Break out the guns and ammo! Let's serve these things covered in chocolate!"

Jordan saluted. "Aye, aye, Capt!"

A few minutes later, they all stood outside the suburban, guns in hand. Before they knew it, the shooting had begun and gun-to-hand combat broke out. The best shooters had taken themselves near the car, while the best combat fighters struggled to take down their opponent. The no-shooters stood at a distance. Ralph got the unlucky chance of taking down grandma-bug. He had always been rather tender to the older folks, and had remorse for smashing her. For one, he looked away with his eyes closed. He didn't want to know what she looked like now.

Then, it struck him. He fell to the ground while a Cybugs screeched in his face. He seethed his teeth and acid droplets sprayed into his face. Easily enough, he shoved the Cybug off of him. It retaliated and bucked, smacking him in the face with a wing. Ralph let out a yelp and dropped the Cybug. It rushed at him again and ripped his brown overalls at the knee. Blood oozed through the cut. The Cybug crawled on top of him and Ralph had to ignore the pain in his leg. He held the bug at bay with his giant hands, gripping it by the mandibles. He strained with effort as he bent the metal, slowly twisting it and finally snapping it off. Acid poured onto his arms free fall, burning him. He then gave it big sucker punch in the eye. Sparks snapped and glass shattered. The Cybugs hissed and backed off of him, running around wild. It suddenly crashed into the car, and it turned over on its side. Honey, Fred, and Aunt Cass—carrying Baymax's charging box—backed away from the car. Vanellope and Tadashi joined them. Hiro, who happened to be positioned by driver's door, tried to scramble away from the tipping car, but his legs were finally caught underneath. He let out a cry of pain. An agonized Cass called after him. Ralph got up besides the burning pain of the acid and went after the Cybug. He grabbed the crazy Cybug around it's waist and smashed it against the ground. He did it again. And again. And again. He finally shoved it to the dust and kicked it away. He ran around the car to where Hiro lay. "Hey! Buddy, you okay?" he asked.

"No…!" Hiro grimaced. "Do I—look okay?" he seethed his teeth. "I'm not okay…you dummy! But thanks for asking." Hiro let out a cry as Ralph tried to lift the car. "STOP STOP STOP! Ralph, just—!" Hiro urged.

"I'm gonna get you outta here, got it?" Ralph said seriously.

"No…Ralph…forget me for now. Ralph, hey! Ralph the GPS!" Hiro waved his hand away. "THE GPS, RALPH!" he yelled into his ear.

Ralph turned to see that the GPS had tumbled out of the open window and it had come to rest closer to the conflict than either of them would've liked. Ralph grabbed at it, but realized he had to get closer. He left the car and went after the GPS, making a wide snatch for it.

A Cybug got to it before he could. It stepped on it. Hiro let out a disbelieving yell as it cracked and the batteries popped out. Right in front of Ralph's eyes, the Cybug ate the batteries. The Cybug went through some sort of transformation and energizer logos appeared on its side. Its shape changed and it almost looked like two batteries were stuck into its back. Ralph took the opportunity to grab the GPS before the Cybug could. He tossed it to Hiro, but it fell a few inches short. Hiro reached out as far as his arm could. His fingers barely brushed it. He groaned and stretched a little further, finally wrapping his hand around it and pulling it toward him. Meanwhile, Ralph had taken care of the Cybug and gave it an extra stomp with his foot when he was finished. "That was for eating our batteries!" he yelled at it and gave it a kick. "Dumb bug."

The Cybugs lay around them, smashed, battered, broken, dead. Puddles of green acid pooled in the dust. Honey came out and tended to the burns. "Hold still," she mumbled to Jordan as she treated a burn on his cheek. He rolled his eyes back and sighed in pleasure as she massaged some cream onto the burn.

Tadashi scoffed.

Ralph came over to Hiro. "Okay." He pointed a finger at him. "I'm getting you out now. Yeah?"

Hiro tried to chuckle and failed. "Have at it."

Ralph latched his fingers under the suburban and grunted. The car creaked and slowly, lifted. It rose off the ground and off of Hiro's legs. He seethed his teeth and pulled himself away as Ralph righted the car. Dusting off his hands, he knelt down next to the muttering teen. "Need help?" he asked.

Hiro nodded. "Yeah."

Tadashi instantly rushed over and pulled off Hiro's boots, rolling up his pant legs. Tadashi looked up at Hiro, who shrugged. He sighed. "Hiro, why do you always get yourself hurt?" he asked.

Hiro shrugged again. "Dunno," he said, knowing it would get on his nerves. Tadashi shook his head and clicked his tongue.

"Sweetie? Hon, would Baymax help?" Cass piped up.

Fred jumped. "THAT…sounds like an amazing plan!" he said.

Tadashi nodded. "Get him out."

Cass set the red box on the ground. "Ouch," she said.

The box unfolded at her voice and Baymax inflated. He looked around. "Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion." He waved his hand. He looked down at Hiro and Tadashi and Ralph. He blinked. "Oh no. It appears my assistance is needed," he said as he toddled over to where Hiro sat on the ground, groaning at his bloody legs. "I will scan you now." Baymax looked Hiro up and down. "Scan complete. You have major cuts to the shins, but have sustained no fractures in either tibia or fibula. I suggest a disinfecting spray to prevent any infection." Baymax squatted down and held out a finger which shot out a thin spray. "Stinging is a natural response," he added as Hiro squeezed his eyes shut and pursed his lips. He opened one eye to see if Baymax was done.

Vanellope was once again awestruck to see the robot in action. She came closer to watch the process. Hiro looked up at her. Come to think of it, they were all watching him. "What?" he asked.

"Next, I recommend washing the wounds before bandaging them." Baymax sprayed a thin layer of water over Hiro's legs. "Now, we need to bandage the cuts. Allow me to assist." Baymax sat down on the ground. The pinkish-tan pad on his foot detached like a lid. Inside was a roll of gauze wrap. Vanellope's eyes went wide. The healthcare robot calmly took the gauze out and stretched out a length, gently tugging it around Hiro's legs.

Vanellope shook her head. "Tadashi, you're a wonder-worker. Oh my GOSH! Baymax is so amazing!" she gawked.

"Do not walk. I will carry you." Baymax scooped Hiro up in his arms.

Hiro raised his eyebrows at Vanellope, acting like he was lounging on a million-dollar couch. "He can lift a thousand pounds," he clarified smugly.

"Your legs are stable enough to walk on, however, it is best to relieve them of as much stress as possible," Baymax stated.

"Guys, we still have a problem," Ralph said grimly. They all turned as he held up the cracked GPS. "Cybugs crushed it. And ate the batteries."

Di muttered and placed her hands on her hips. "I wanna swear again."

"What?" Jordan exclaimed aghast. "I worked so hard to find one that _wasn't_ broken. _Dang!_ I hate those bugs! Now we're stuck here!"

"Now we need to find a new one," Honey muttered dejectedly. There was a miserable silence in the group as they all processed their situation.

Hiro grit his teeth. "No," he said firmly. "We don't."

Ralph turned around to look at him and waved a hand. "What do you mean _we don't_? We can't find our way with a broken GPS, kid."

Hiro felt a grin spreading across his face. "No. it doesn't have to work," he repeated. "Any GPS will work. Just let me take care of everything, and I'll fix it." He straightened the best he could in Baymax's squishy arms.

Vanellope smiled excitedly and it wasn't because of Baymax. She let out a giggle. They looked back at her. She shrugged innocently. "He didn't get past GoGo for nothing," she said. "I saw him. He fixed a broken com in only a few minutes. He can fix a GPS." She tossed the hair out of her eyes. "I say let's do it."

Hiro smiled at her support. "Can I see it, Ralph?" he asked and held his hand out. Ralph handed it to him and he looked it over. "It definitely needs batteries. _Duh._ But the screen is broken, and the exterior is completely cracked. I think some of the innards are broken, too."

"And you can handle those, right?" Cass asked hopefully.

Hiro sputtered loudly. " _Who_ do you _think_ I _am_? Heck yeah, I can fix this!" he fiddled around with it gently with his thumb. "Only problem…" he looked up at them. "I don't have the tools."

( 0—0 )

"Hiro, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Relax, you big baby. If I only had good ideas, I wouldn't have any ideas at all. You're too protective."

"So…if your ideas aren't good…their _bad_ , presumably dangerous or risky?"

Hiro laughed. "You think too much, too."

Tadashi grimaced. He looked grimly at the sign that was graffitied to the brick wall in dripping red.

S

Yesterday, they had found the sign and Hiro had instantly taken interest, being the ex-bot-fighter he was. Proposing the outrageous, Hiro had gained the favor of most of their group, except for the strongly protesting Tadashi and Aunt Cass. So, Hiro had constructed some sort of mechanism that they didn't understand and a battle-bot with what he'd scrounged up, and _boom_ , there they were. Cass, Baymax, and Honey had decided to stay behind. Jordan remembered bot fighting for food and supplies for Diana before they were picked up by GoGo, so he'd had his fair share of bot fights. For the sake of reliving the experience, he decided to come along. Hiro led the way with Ralph close behind. Behind them were also Vanellope, Di, and Fred. And a reluctant Tadashi who'd only come along for the sake of making sure his brother didn't get beat up.

"Let's go," Hiro said, clearly pumped up and ignorant of his brother. They made their way down the dark alley, their shadows cast across the pavement by the night moon. Hiro shivered with excitement. "I haven't done this in years," he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"You have it?" Jordan asked.

"Yep." Hiro held his bot. It was a dorky looking thing with a goofy grin and blocky, black, body parts. "I named it Megabot," he announced.

"Hiro, when you name it, you start getting attached to it," Tadashi groaned.

Soon enough, they spied a warm orange glow up ahead and the sound of screaming and cheering echoed to their ears. Jordan's eyes lit up in remembrance. As their group mingled with the throngs, they were able to see a large ring drawn in the dust. Two robots battled each other viciously while their controllers sat outside the ring on opposite sides. They watched as one mean looking robot struck down its opponent and crushed it. Fred looked around in wonder. A lady strolled into the scene. "AND THE WINNER! By _total_ annihilation…YAMAAA!" she gestured to a very large, beefy-looking man with black hair tied into a little ponytail. He wore dark blue, matching sweat pants and sweat shirt. The announcer handed a rice pot filled with money and Yama scooped up his winnings.

"Who's next? Who wants to step in the ring? With LITTLE YAMA!?" he challenged the crowd. There was no reply from the spectators.

"Can I try?" Hiro asked. They all turned around to see who the courageous, bold challenger was. They stopped when they saw Hiro. "I have a robot! I built it myself." He held out his Megabot.

The crowd erupted into fits of laughter and guffawing. Yama led it all.

"Some kid got lost," a woman commented with a laugh.

"Or took a wrong turn," a man added.

"Hey! Hey? Hey guys! He was serious!" Ralph tried to tell them. Every just kept laughing. "HEY! Hello? Is anyone—? He was being serious! Guys, could—"

"HEEEEEEY!" A loud yell burst out of Hiro's throat. Everyone fell silent. He was now smoldering at the insult. He didn't fee like going through the whole 'puppy' act this time. "I want to take on Little Yama," he announced, his voice daring. "One on one."

Yama looked Hiro up and down. "Aw, wookit that," he said in a mock voice. "The wittle boy has to be pwotected by his daddy." He gestured to Ralph, and the crowd laughed again.

"Hey look…" Ralph started.

"What, you think he's going to affect my skills?" Hiro scowled.

Yama stopped his snorting. "What's your name, little boy?" he asked.

"Hiro? Hiro Hamada?" he said hopefully, hoping someone would recognize his name. He hadn't taken down eleven champions for nothing.

"Never heard of him," Yama grumbled.

"Beat it, kid," the announcer lady glared at him through an eye patch. "House rules. You gotta pay to play," she hissed and held up the rice pot.

Ralph and the others eyed Hiro warily, knowing they didn't have any cash. Hiro kept his cool. "I wasn't thinking about gambling this round," he admitted.

The announcer lady scoffed. "You don't actually know anything about bot fighting, do you?" She placed a hand on her hip and looked up at Yama. "Wanna chase 'em out?" she asked him.

Yama stroked the fat folds on his chin. "Wait," he growled. "If we aren't betting on money, what's to gain and what's to lose?" he asked.

"If I win the match, I gain a full set of tools, including a screwdriver and a jeweler's. I know you have them."

Yama turned a little red. "My bot-repair tools are not in the game." He stared daggers at their group. "What else?"

"Nope. Screwdriver and jeweler's screwdriver."

"No."

"You haven't even heard of what you gain." Hiro held up a hand. "If you win the match, you gain a high acid-induced litrithium generator." He said.

Vanellope blinked, confused. "A what?" she asked and wrinkled her brow.

Yama's eyes grew. "So…with this litrithium generator, you could—"

"Fuel a robot with Cybug acid litrithium until it could move so fast that it would be nearly impossible to hit," Hiro finished his sentence. "All yours for the taking if you win." He shrugged.

"Show it to me," Yama demanded.

Hiro slid a metal cube out of his jacket and held it up. "Proof."

"That could be a useless hunk of steel for all I know. How good is your word?" Yama raised his eyebrows.

"How good is yours?" Hiro asked back.

Yama grumbled. "I give you my word that I'll hand over the tools if you win." He grinned smugly.

Hiro nodded. "Then I'll hand over my generator if you win on my word." He stretched to give Tadashi and the others a wink before positioning his head until his mouth was right next to Ralph's "He's not gonna play fair if he loses," he whispered barely louder than a breath. Ralph nodded.

"BUT." Yama raised his hand. "Before we begin…we're bargaining with rather…valuable items."

"Money's valuable. What's the difference?" Hiro asked.

Yama snapped his fingers and the announcer lady scurried away. "You see…" Yama crossed his arms. "How bad are you willing to fight for these tools?"

"I'm pretty willing."

Yama grinned and Hiro didn't like it. "Well then. That changes things." He straightened and whistled. Three figures shot into the scene and three young women struck poses next to Yama. One had flat, blonde hair and a crude, spiked ball on a chain in one hand. Another had an umbrella with spikes on the end, and the last one fanned out a sharpened fan, which Hiro recognized as tessen. He gulped. Yama leaned back. "Why would I make you go through so much trouble just for a couple of tools? Which you so _desperately_ need," he added. "Since I would never want to lose in public against the mighty Hiro Hamada! Mastermind Overlord of Bots!"

Hiro jerked. "You said you'd never heard of me," he said cautiously.

Yama sneered. "In bot fights, _I know everybody._ "

Hiro opened his mouth slightly and looked over at his three ladies. "It's…much too generous of you to just willingly hand over your tools." He straightened and looked back at Yama. "Uncharacteristic, even." His eyes narrowed.

Yama looked offended. "Are you saying I'm lying? That I'm not a man of my word?" he placed a hand on his chest.

"I didn't say that. But just how good _is_ your word? You did lie about knowing me, anyways. You can't blame me for being skeptical."

Yama grinned. "You know…I like you," he declared. "You've got spunk. Unlike…others I have taken down." He brushed some dirt off his jacket. "So…I'll make you a deal." He turned back to the boy. "I'll let you have my tools and keep the generator…as long as you give me the details on how to build it."

Hiro's eyes widened. "That…sounds like a bargain," he observed, unconvinced.

Tadashi came up to Ralph and leaned close to Hiro. "Are you sure he's not lying?" he hissed. "This guy looks shady."

"Of course he's lying. He's shady, but I think I have him figured," Hiro replied quietly. He nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "Let's do it."

The crowd almost groaned as if disappointed that there was no fight. Yama grinned. "I and the Fujitas will accompany you to my work shed." He got up. "But he can't go with you." He pointed at Ralph. "He'll wreck my shed."

Ralph gave Yama an offended look, since they were about the same size. Hiro patted Ralph. "I'll be fine," he reassured.

Ralph shrunk away from the idea. "I dunno, Hiro. Baymax said—"

" _Ralph_ —" Hiro snapped, but quickly forced a smile. "I'll be fine."

Ralph glanced over at Tadashi, who shook his head. "Let Jordan go with you," Tadashi protested. "At least."

Yama nodded. "I'll let the other boy come."

Hiro let out a puff. "Okay."

Hiro jerked at a shot of pain in his leg when he took a step forward, and Jordan scurried to support him. Hiro hissed in pain as Jordan linked an arm around his waist, helping him stand. "Dude, you okay?" Jordan asked quietly. Hiro nodded and broke out of Jordan's arms. The two boys slowly followed Yama further down into the alley, leaving the crowd and lights behind. A neon on the verge of death flickered nearby, and Hiro wondered where it got its power. The blonde Fujita swayed her hips and made eyes at Hiro. She soon skated in step with him and shot him giggly smiles. "Uh…" Jordan started. "Okay." He slowly moved away from the Fujita.

She still persisted.

"Don't _touch_ me!" Hiro jerked his arm away from her, making her shrink back. Yama turned around to see what the commotion was. Hiro just grinned innocently at him. Yama kept walking.

The blonde Fujita came back again. "Sorry," she apologized. "I'm Kimiyo." She smiled. "You're Hiro Hamada?" she asked. "I heard you took down eleven champions at the bot fights." She clasped her hands behind her back, winding up the chained ball. "Is it true?"

He nodded. "Yep."

"That is so amazing! I wonder what that must've been like." When Hiro didn't reply, she clasped her hands behind her back again. "You don't talk much, do you? Do you…have a girlfriend?"

"And why would you want to know?" Hiro snapped.

Kimiyo blinked. "I…I…sorry."

Hiro growled and looked away. "I don't."

Kimiyo's smile returned. "Oh really? Well…are…you staying in the area?"

"No."

"Oh." She looked down at her skating feet. Kimiyo sighed and tossed her blonde hair out of her eyes. "Sooo…do you have any family?" she asked.

Hiro gave a skyward glance, knowing this girl was never going to shut up. "My Aunt, and my brother. My parents died when I was three."

"Oh I'm sorry." Kimoyo gave him an apologetic look. "My parents died by Cybugs. Yama found me, and then he recruited me as a Fujita." She looked away.

Hiro turned back to her, no longer scornful. "I'm sorry," he said.

She suddenly turned bright pink and gave him a shy bat of her eyelashes. She giggled. "What's your favorite color?"

"I can tell yours is pink," Hiro replied.

He gave a wheeze as Jordan gave him a jerk. "Don't make conversation," he said in a quiet, high-pitched voice.

Kimiyo sidled a little closer. "How old are you?"

"How old are you?"

"I asked you first."

"I asked you second."

Kimiyo giggled. "I'm sixteen. Do you need any help walking?" she asked, already reaching around to help him. "You look like you're struggling."

"Nope!" Hiro jerked away from her. "I'm fine."

" _Kimiyo_!" She turned her head to see one of the other Fujitas sharply call her name. She ducked her head and skated to catch up with them.

"Getting friendly now, are we?" Jordan asked.

Hiro elbowed him, making him wince. " _No_ ," he spat.

Jordan stopped and looked up. "I guess we're here."

A small building had fallen over in the alley, creating a tunnel which was closed off by a hanging sheet that sported holes and stains. One of the Fujitas pulled aside the sheet to let Yama enter. It looked dark inside. "You can come in, boys," Yama called over his shoulder, waiting for them to follow.

Jordan and Hiro trailed after him and the Fujita closed the sheet behind them. It was dark. In fact, the only thing Hiro could see was the faint outline of Yama's back. Then, a few golden Christmas lights strung around the cave flickered on, lighting the workshop, which wasn't really a shed. There were two tables on two sides of the room, one littered with tools and spare parts, while the other one had a few test tubes of liquids, but mostly filled with strange looking objects and doodads. One of them pulsed steadily as Hiro stared at it. It almost looked like a… "Is that a…plasma induced energy container of some sort?" Hiro asked.

Yama chuckled. "You know tech when you see it."

"But…it's not…it must have some reflector paneling inside?"

Yama nodded. "You're smart." He turned around and took a seat in a ripped armchair which looked like it had survived the front lines of WWII. Yama stuck his hand into a crumpled bag nearby and drew it out with chips clutched between his fingers. He popped the chips into his mouth. "So Hiro," he started and licked his fingers. "Just how smart do you think you are?" he asked.

Hiro looked around, a noting that Yama's courtesy couldn't stretch to offer them a seat. "I don't want to sound vain," he said when he'd confirmed that there were no other seats available other than the ground. He stood.

"Be as vain as you want here. You won't insult anybody," Yama insisted.

Hiro grimaced. "From 100 percent…if everybody were just 50, I'd say I'm…" he tilted his head in thought. "75. Maybe 80."

"Oh ho!" Yama belched. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "So…smarter than the average college professor?"

"Around. Or as."

"Hmmm." Yama stroked the fat folds of his chin. He looked around and finally back at Hiro. "How well are you exercising your talent, you think?"

Hiro shrugged. "I…okay, I guess…I would rather do more. Look, to be frank, what does this have to do with the tools exchange? I'm a busy man."

Yama laughed. "Don't be so hasty to leave. Would you say inventing and creating is your passion?" he leaned forward in his chair.

Hiro nodded. "Yeah, I would."

"Then how would you like the chance to invent and bot fight here with me?"

"What?!" Hiro and Jordan said simultaneously.

"We would work together to create the ultimate battle bots and use them to crush our opponents. We'd be rich and no one would oppose us." Yama held out his arms. "And you could even invent whatever you want in spare time. It'd be the life of living your passion. Sound like a dream, eh?"

Hiro wrinkled his nose. "No one would oppose _us_? No would oppose _you._ You wouldn't let me share in you glory. As a fellow champion, I know that when you have the victory, you _don't want to lose it._ You wouldn't want to share the winnings, either. What would we do with all that money, anyway? Buy a penthouse or a gold helicopter? Out here, green paper is useless. And I wouldn't want to waste my time playing games when our home is in danger." Hiro drew in an angry breath. "The offer might be tempting in another time when our world wasn't falling apart, but here, _no thank you._ " Hiro straightened. "I'll take the tools, give you the details, and then I'll be on my way."

Jordan let out a tense breath he just realized he'd been holding.

Yama no longer looked happy. He pressed his hands together and pointed them at Hiro. "I gave you an offer. You had your choice."

Hiro drew back from the hulking man when a sudden stab of hot red pain shot up through his back. He let out a cry as he was slammed to the ground. A sharpened tessen pressed against his neck. He felt his face growing hot as he smoldered. Next to him, Jordan was knocked down as well with the other Fujita on top of him, umbrella point to his neck. Kimiyo stood nearby, watching their downfall. Hiro knew that he shouldn't _ever_ use his God-given charm for manipulation, but he knew he had it, and he knew this was a time to use. He looked up at Kimiyo the best he could with his face pressed to the ground. His eyes were already tearing up with the pain in his back. He gave her a look of utter, dramatic betrayal. She took a step back, mortified. "Kimiyo?" Hiro asked in a pained voice.

Jordan looked over at him, disgusted that he'd stooped so low.

Kimiyo looked up. "Yama, is this really—"

" _Kimiyo_ ," Yama said sharply. "Search his jacket." He pointed at Hiro.

Kimiyo was forced silent and crouched next to Hiro, who was rolled onto his back. Kimiyo stuck her hand into his jacket, searching the outer pockets. She kept her face turned away from Hiro, who kept looking up at her with sorrowful eyes. She glanced down at him, and then looked away. "Kimiyo, move," the tessen Fujita ordered.

Kimiyo's finger moved faster. "It's not on him," she said hastily.

"Search the inner pockets!" Yama yelled.

Kimiyo continued to search, sticking her hand into his jacket and searching. She glanced over at Hiro again. "Stop it, Hiro!" she spat.

"Kimiyo, I…I thought…" Hiro started softly.

Kimiyo slapped him hard.

Hiro's eyes widened in shock as his head rolled. He hadn't expected that. His cheek stung red where she'd hit him.

"Found it." Kimiyo said quickly and stood up with a small cube resting in her palm. The Generator. She handed it to Yama and crossed her arms, fingering the chain and ball at her hip.

Yama stared at it for a while. "The work of a genius," he murmured, turning it around in his hand. "And it's mine." He looked down at Hiro. "Hold him," he ordered and got up from his arm chair. He picked up a com from one table and turned it on. "I have him. His legs are wrapped, but I didn't do it. Other than that, he's unhurt. Well, one of my girls just slapped him, but that's minor. The rest of the team are in the ring lobby. Hiro and another boy are in my shed."

The com crackled in his hand with static. Hiro's spine suddenly shivered and his whole body tensed and the sound of a familiar voice on the other end of the com. " _Great work, Yama. I'll be there to get him. Don't let him go, or all bets are off. Is my little sister in the ring lobby?"_

"Yes," Yama answered.

" _Then I'll be there in a little bit. Bye-bye._ "

 **So...if any of you keep up with Big Hero 6 the series, you've probably seen Baymax Returns. I want to say right now, I completed this chapter months and months ago, way long before Baymax Returns came out. The idea of bringing Yama back in this way was not taken in any way off of Baymax Returns. Just wanna say that real quick. Thank you! I'm curious, who's your favorite character so far?**


	22. Chapter XXI: Wrong Bait

Tadashi crossed his arms impatiently, licking his teeth. It had been a bit too long. Hiro and Jordan should've been back by now. The alley they had disappeared down had not spit them back out yet. No Yama, no Fujitas, no Jordan, no Hiro. He didn't even care about the tools anymore.

Diana had also gotten antsy, pacing back and forth. "What's taking them so long?" she asked. "It doesn't take that long to hand tools to someone. Oh man, I don't like this."

"I never liked this from the beginning," Tadashi muttered.

Fred scratched his head. "Well, they can take care of themselves, right? You Asian bros know martial arts, right?"

Tadashi nodded. "But his legs are still on the mend."

"Oh. That's true…" Fred murmured. "So…he wouldn't be able to do any super cool flying kicks without cracking his legs…okay, forget about martial arts. Di, Di, Di, can Jordan do martial arts or something? Can he use weapons? _Can he construct a cannon in 1.5 seconds_?"

Di gave him an odd stare. "No, he cannot construct a cannon in 1.5 seconds. He should have his pistol, though. He knows how to use it. I'm just worried."

"Trust me, I know how you feel." Tadashi bit his lip.

Looking back and forth between the two distraught adults, Vanellope glanced over at Ralph, who had taken position watching the alley. She came up to him and tugged on his hand. He lifted her onto his shoulders. "What's up?" he asked with a grunt.

"The others are getting antsy that the others haven't gotten back."

"Mmm."

"What do you think happened to them?" she asked.

Ralph took in a breath. "I don't want to jump to any premature conclusions…we'll have to wait and see. But this does seem a little fishy." He crossed his arms and tapped his foot. "Hmm."

Vanellope sighed and fiddled with her hoodie drawstrings. She then realized a pink ribbon tucked under Ralph's orange button down. Her brows furrowed and her fingers tugged it out. Ralph twisted his head to see what she was doing. Vanellope pulled it until the ribbon's pendent slid up to her hands. A little heart made of baking clay, clay frosting and sprinkles said with curling icing words _To stink brain._ On the other side, _you're my hero._ She smiled when she remembered finding that package of clay in the ruins. She decided to make something for Ralph when he'd saved her life from a Cybug attack. "You still wear this?" she laughed.

Ralph snatched it. "Give that back, you little guttersnipe!" he chuckled and tucked it back into his shirt. "Yes, I still wear it." He cleared his throat and held his hands to himself, rocking on his heels. "Means a lot to me," he sniffed cautiously.

Vanellope grinned from ear to ear. "Ah, ya big lug." She bent over and hugged his head. "Where would I be without you?" She crossed her arms across Ralph's brown hair and sighed. "Remember the good old days?"

"Yeah, no Taffyta. Man, I miss those days."

"No! Well—okay, yes—but that's not what I meant." Vanellope waved the thought away. "I was talking about before we had the…thinning thing going on."

"Huh? What thinning thing?" Ralph asked, confused.

"Well, you know…" she said through clenched teeth. "The thinning the gang thing with GoGo," she muttered.

"Oh," Ralph said slowly. "That thing," he sighed. "Before she went nuts. Sorry, no offense to your sis," he said quickly.

"No, you're good." Vanellope slumped. _She did go nuts, didn't she_? How far was GoGo going to go to survive? She wondered. The assuring notion that GoGo would thin out everyone except for her didn't seem so reassuring at all. What of Ralph? Di? Even Calhoun? She wouldn't get that desperate. But…she was her older sister, and older sisters got protective. She wasn't going to let some _boy_ walk away with her little sister into the mouth of danger. Which meant…she was coming soon, wasn't she? Tracking them down. "Ralph," she hissed. "What if GoGo was actually trying to—" her sentence was cut off when the blonde Fujita sped out of the dark alley. The lumbering Yama soon followed. He looked unpleasantly smug and his arms were crossed. In his hand, he held a small cube. Vanellope's brow raised. "Ralph, that's Hiro's—"

"Where's Jordan?" Di called. "Where is he?"

"He's alive, if that's what you were worried about," Yama laughed.

Diana's eyes narrowed. "You little _SNITCH_!" she bellowed at him. "What did you do to him?! Where is he?"

"And where's Hiro!?" Tadashi asked.

Yama shifted his footing, but not nervously. "He's in a…less positive state," he answered. He snapped his fingers and the other two Fujitas stepped into the light. The tall one with the umbrella held Jordan with his arms tied behind him, an umbrella spike pressed to his back. Gagged with a swollen eye, he'd gone down with a fight. The one with the tessens held Hiro, gagged and bound, hobbling and struggling to stand. He was being dragged up by the Fujita, but his legs looked twisted and bent at odd angles. A cut ran down his forehead and the blood dripped into his left eye. With his right eye, he watched Tadashi, terrified. The Fujita's threw the two boys onto the ground and they gave muffled cries of pain. Yama drew in a breath. "ALRIGHT, LISTEN!" He fired a shot with his gun. "Bot fights are done for tonight! Out you get!" The crowd, edgy and tense, scrambled to leave, until Tadashi, Di, Fred, Ralph, and Vanellope were the only ones left.

Ralph took Vanellope off his shoulders. "Stay back," he hissed. He cracked his knuckles. "If you don't let those two boys go, I'll beat the _living tar_ out of you!" he threatened. "And don't think I won't!" He pointed a finger at him. "Now. Leddem go, and we'll be on our way," he said slowly.

Vanellope stuck close to him, afraid that one of the Fujitas might suddenly snatch her and gag her like the unfortunate boys. She wanted to say something insulting to the big fat man, but she was afraid of what would come out of her mouth and what it would trigger. Silently, she gulped and watched intently with wide eyes.

Yama narrowed his own eyes. "What makes you think I'd listen to you?"

Ralph growled and his fists trembled. "If you hurt them anymore, I swear I won't hesitate," he threatened again, but he already knew he'd lost the battle of wits.

Yama threw his head back and gave a chuckle-belly laugh. "You are really a pathetic bunch. But I don't have time for the chit-chat."

Vanellope gave a little shriek as Tadashi was suddenly slammed to the ground. Di followed shortly after, her hair falling out of her braid. Vanellope's eyes were hurting from stretching so wide and her throat ached from being tense she thought she might choke.

GoGo pulled out a gun and cocked it, holding it to Tadashi's neck. "I should shoot you," she hissed. "Just for all the misery you've cause me. You and your _brother._ " She gave him a rough jerk. She finally stood up with a boot pressed into his back. "Watch him," she said. Behind her, Wasabi came and held Tadashi to the ground with his hand on his neck. Francis, Taffyta, Cadence, and Andy watched on as Calhoun pressed her gun into Di's back and stared holes at the back of her head. _Cadence? Francis?_ Vanellope quickly hid behind Ralph as GoGo marched up to Yama. "So I see you didn't lie," she remarked and glanced down at the two boys. "I'm impressed. But I didn't come here for him." She gestured to Jordan. "You can let him go. I only want Hiro." The Fujita with the umbrella made no move. GoGo turned to glare at her. "I said let him go! Or did you not hear me?" she spat. The Fujita slowly rose.

Jordan scrambled away desperately and joined Ralph, who snapped the cord around his wrists and tugged off the gag. Jordan spat out a soggy wad of cloth and coughed, turning. "GET OFF DIANA!" he hollered. "I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU TOUCH HER, CALHOUN!"

"Jordan, shut up!" Di spat. "I'm okay."

GoGo turned, scanning the remaining people. "Where's my sister?"

"She…she was here. I saw her! She's still here somewhere," Yama said quickly.

GoGo looked up at Yama slowly. "All bets are off unless I get both Hiro _and_ Vanellope. And I'm not leaving until I do."

"Find her!" Yama ordered. The two remaining Fujitas went off looking for Vanellope, who hyperventilated while she slipped away, hiding behind a nearby stack of crates. "I promise you, I'll find her," Yama said. "You can have Hiro now if you want."

"Fine," GoGo agreed. The Fujita stood up and GoGo hauled Hiro up to look at her, but his legs wouldn't stand. She shook him. "Hey there," she hissed in his face. "Didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon, huh?" She looked down at his legs. "You told me his legs were cut, not twisted!"

"I said his legs were _hurt_ ," Yama corrected. "Now. The payment, please?"

GoGo sighed and dropped Hiro, who fell to his knees. She reached into a backpack that she slung off her shoulder, but paused and looked up at him. "No, not until you find Vanellope."

Vanellope watched, breathing heavily as Yama and GoGo argued. Had GoGo been in cahoots with Yama this whole time? What had she done? Settled an exchange between them while Hiro had been making his bot? That meant…how long had GoGo been in the area? If it was long, then how fast was GoGo hunting them down? She shivered and averted her eyes to Di and Tadashi. She froze. His eyes no longer held the placid or worried eyes she'd seen before. All traces of willingness to put diplomacy first vanished. His eyes were narrowed, dark, hungry. He didn't seem right. Something was off about him. He looked so angry. Vanellope clenched her fingers into fists until they hurt. She looked back to GoGo, who was also searching across the other side of the alley. Yama still stood over Hiro. His eyes were clenched shut and he looked like sobs were threatening to push past the gag. What…were her friends going to be okay? GoGo wouldn't kill any of them, would she? _God, if you're out there, don't let my friends die. Please. Please, please, please._ She begged silently, clasping her hands and squeezing her eyes shut. She screamed and her eyes shot open as the crates topples over, crashing to the pavement. Two eyes stared down at her. GoGo grabbed her and pulled her up. "Vanellope?" She gripped the paralyzed girl by the shoulders before pulling her into a hug. "I was worried!"

Vanellope pushed out of her sister's arms and scrambled away, falling against the wall, where no crates stood for a barrier. "No, stop it!" She held her arms in front of her, ready to scratch or bite her way out. "Stop it, GoGo!"

GoGo bent down on a knee and pulled her up again. "We're going home," she said firmly. "C'mon."

"No I'm _NOT_!" Vanellope elbowed GoGo in the gut and spun out of her arms. "Don't touch me! I'm not going with you! Just leave me alone!"

Her sister turned around to look at her. "Vanellope, as your older sister and your gang head, I'm ordering you to return to camp with me."

Vanellope shook her head. "I'm not a part of your gang anymore. And you're not much of an older sister, either." She took a step back. Her hand flew to her wrist as she wrenched the wristband off, flinging it at GoGo's feet. "HERE! _Keep_ it! If this means that I'm like _you_ , then I don't want it!" She swiped at her eyes and took another step back. "I'm not going with you."

GoGo straightened and stopped clutching her stomach. "Is your determination really worth more than your loyalty to your camp? To your family? Just so you don't look like a fool, you'll abandon everything. We already know you are one, so you might as well come home."

"My family?" Vanellope shook her head again, her eyes getting wet. "What family? My parents are dead and my sister is a murderer! What kind of a family is that?"

"Is this what Eomma and Appa would have wanted?" GoGo persisted. " _Eomma and Appa would NEVER have wanted you to be a killer, GoGo_!" Jordan, Ralph, Diana, Tadashi, Hiro, and Fred all turned their heads. "What's that?" Fred asked quietly. No one answered him. GoGo nodded slowly. "I gotcha," she said slowly. "Wanna stay out here with some guy you think is cute? Thinks he likes you?" GoGo walked over to Hiro, who, despite the current situation, was blushing furiously. She pulled him up and gripped him around the waist, ignorant of his hurting legs. "Well he's coming back with me." She gave her sister a look. "It's up to you." Hiro, still gagged, shook his head. GoGo looked down at him. "You know what? Calhoun." She held out a hand to her partner, crouched on top of Tadashi. "Handkerchief." Calhoun willingly handed over a handkerchief from her pocket. GoGo tied over Hiro's eyes. "Whoa…whoa, hold…wait, what are you doing?" Fred asked. Hiro tossed his head, trying to shake off GoGo's hands, but the cloth was soon fastened over his eyes. "If you're not coming back with me on your own, that's fine," GoGo said calmly and turned to face her sister. "But if he's not out here, then face it. You have no real reason to be out here, either." Vanellope tried to process what was happening. "No," she said slowly. "I'll keep…doing…looking for the factory, even if you take Hiro back." She knew she'd told a cold lie right there. Why was she out here? To help find the factory. Help who find the factory? Hiro. What happens when Hiro's gone? She gulped down a queasy feeling growing, pouring, brooding in her stomach. A feeling that threatened to take tangible form if she didn't close her mouth. She stepped back. Her sister was right. She was only out here to help Hiro, and when Hiro was gone, she lost her confidence. She wanted to turn home. Her ears started to grow hot. She shook her head, tears springing to her eyes. She had never wanted to admit the truth. But the truth was the truth. She was scared. She was scared that…that a lot of things would happen. That her friends would die. Her world would be destroyed. Her only family would be dead. Her parents already were. Why had she come out here in the first place? What was there really left here? A career? A husband and family? In _this world_? This world. This…world. "Come on," GoGo said and started to drag Hiro off. The frightened teen trembled visibly, unable to see what was happening to him, where he was, or where the others were. Vanellope slowly unclenched her hand. This wasn't about Hiro. It wasn't about her friends. It was about her world. Her home. It was…about saving it and defending it. She didn't need Hiro by her side to defend her world. If she turned back, it would forfeit everything. She watched GoGo drag Hiro off. "I'm not going, with you!" she called after her. "You picked the wrong bait." It wasn't the wrong bait for Tadashi. ( 0—0 )

A wrathful roar erupted in Hiro's ears. It wasn't GoGo. His captor froze, giving Hiro's burning legs a chance to rest. He felt like he was standing in hell. A feminine voice shrieked. Vanellope. Another voice shrieked and there were sounds of a scuffle. Fighting. On the ground. Punches, maybe. People were shrieking and screaming. He could hear voices calling for help. "SHOOT him!" GoGo ordered.

Hiro held his breath. _He_? Who was ' _he_ '? But no gunshots were fired. GoGo suddenly tensed. "Put it down," she hissed.

"Let him go," a voice growled.

Hiro's heart lodged in his throat. _Tadashi._ " _Mrrfrrshy_!" he screamed, his voice muffled through his gag. "Nurrh!"

"What happens if I don't?" GoGo asked.

"I'll shoot."

" _NURRH_!" Hiro screamed. "Drrn't!"

"You wouldn't. I know you. You wouldn't hurt a fly. You're too soft." GoGo shifted Hiro in her arms. "I _dare_ you to pull that trigger."

An eerie silence commenced. Hiro shook his head. "Mrrfrrshy, drrn't—" GoGo dug her elbow into his ribs. He let out a cry of pain.

" _Touch_ him again, I'll shoot."

"I'll make a deal with you."

"I'm tired of your deals, GoGo! I don't want to hear it!"

"You might." GoGo shifted. "Hand over the gun, no violence, turn yourself in, and I'll bring both of you back with me."

"Why? I thought you'd be glad to get us off your back."

Hiro whimpered, no longer ashamed of his trembling. "Drrn't," he said softly.

He could hear a sigh. "That's better," GoGo said. Had he lowered the gun? He couldn't have lowered the gun.

Then, something nicked him hard on the back of the head. He let out a muffled scream as something dripped down the back of his neck. Something sticky. GoGo fell to the ground and arms and limbs were in his face. A hand roughly shoved him away and he fell to the pavement. There were sounds of ferocious fighting, yelling, punching. Hiro jerked when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Dude? Dude, come on."

The hand gently drew him up and supported him as he walked. Hiro shivered. "Frrrrid?" he asked.

"Yep, your man's right here," Fred said. "I think Tadashi hit you. You okay, little dude?" he asked.

Hiro shook his head. "Mrrfrrshy. Irrsh…whrrmsh Mrrfrrsy?"

"He's…well, I dunno. We need to get out," Fred said, setting him down.

The noise had grown more distant. And then it grew louder. It sounded like there was fighting everywhere. Others, too. He couldn't see anything. He jerked, but Fred's hand kept him still. The minutes seemed to wear on. GoGo's voice finally called a fallback and the volume decreased. Soon, it was quiet. Frantic footsteps hurried to where Hiro sat.

"Fred, why is he still blindfolded? Come here," a voice said and gripped Hiro by the shoulders, drawing him closer to whomever was talking. Sticky fingers reached around his head and undid the gag.

"Sorry. It didn't occur to me. But MAN, you were awesome out there! The way you took GoGo down!"

The fingers reached into his mouth and pulled out the soggy gag. Hiro spat it out. "T-Tadashi? A…are—" The bandanna finally fell away from his eyes and Hiro squinted at the brightness as the sticky fingers gently cupped his face. As his eyes adjusted, they grew wider. He gasped and whimpered. "T…T-T—"

"Hiro, she's gone. It's okay. She's gone," Tadashi reassured. "Are you okay? I think I accidentally hit you. I'm sorry."

"N-no. No." Hiro pulled his face out of Tadashi's bloody hands and scrambled away. "S-stay _away_ from me!"

Tadashi crept closer until Hiro was up against the wall. "Hiro?"

Hiro shivered and trembled, cornered. "No." He shook his head. "No," he said again, his voice shaky. Tadashi crept even closer. "No, no, no. _No_. NO! STOPPIT!" Hiro screamed.

"Hiro, look at me!" Tadashi gripped Hiro's bony shoulders "She's gone! You're okay, I'm okay, nobody's dead. I didn't kill anyone! Hiro?" he asked softly. "Hiro. Please. Stop running away from me."

Hiro stared into his brother's eyes. They were warm. Gentle. They always had been. But he still sat frozen, wide eyed. When Tadashi recognized the fear in Hiro's eyes, he drew back. "I'm not going to _hurt_ you, Hiro."

Hiro only stared. Finally, he leaned forward and let his head rest against his brother's chest. He started to choke on the tears, fighting to keep them back. "I know. I…I'm sorry."

Tadashi pulled him close and rocked him back and forth. "It's okay." He rested his cheek into Hiro's hair. "I didn't want her to take you away."

"You…I'm sorry. I—"

"Hiro, sssshh. No. No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Hiro. I'm sorry," Tadashi repeated, rubbing Hiro's back. "It's over now." He gently scooped up Hiro in his arms, mindful of his abused legs.

Vanellope also had buried her face into Ralph's side, tears streaming. Her friend had placed a protective hand around her, as if shielding her. "How is the kid?" Ralph asked worriedly.

Tadashi shook his head as Hiro buried his face into Tadashi's shoulder, still trying not to cry like a baby.

"What about the tools?" Diana asked.

They looked to Yama, who was now gone. Only Kimiyo stood in his place. She stared up at them apologetically. "I don't—"

"Where's your boss? I _demand_ those tools! He broke his word!" Jordan ordered as Ralph quickly held the boy back with a massive hand. "Let go, dude," Jordan insisted.

Ralph looked down at him. "Calm down."

Kimiyo took a step back. "I…I don't have any control over him. I'm sorry about what he's done to you all," she said. "I just want to say…don't judge me because of him. Please." She drew something out of her sleeve. "These are now rightfully yours." She held out a small zippered case. "The tools are inside," she said quietly and handed them to Jordan, who snatched them out of her hand suspiciously, as if afraid her hand was a venomous viper.

He quickly unzipped the case and checked inside. "They're here," he answered. "We got 'em. Let's go."

Diana turned. "Does…Yama know where his tools are?" she asked slowly.

Kimiyo shook his head.

"He'll be furious when he finds out. Why don't you come with us?" Di asked. "You'll be better off with us than with that pig-headed lump oaf of a man." She spat the insult.

Kimiyo shrunk back. "I…I…no. I appreciate your offer, but no. I wouldn't…Yama is the only life I've ever known. I would rather face his anger. It always passes anyway." She forced a faint smile and respectfully bowed, hands pressed together. "You brought no fight with you, but when you were faced with it, you fought admirably. Maybe, if fate agrees, we'll cross paths again."

"Maybe so." Di bowed in return.

Hiro turned his head to look at her before they went. "Thank you," he managed weakly.

Kimiyo only smiled sadly and said nothing.


	23. Chapter XXII: Golden Gate Brawl

"My sweet nephew," Aunt Cass murmured, gently stroking Hiro's raven hair, who had fallen asleep in Tadashi's lap. She scowled. "I should _never_ have let him go. Oucgh, I feel like I've failed as a parent," she moaned and rubbed her temples. "Maybe I should have picked up that parenting book."

Tadashi, who had been silent up until now, finally turned and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Aunt Cass…you didn't know what would happen. Nobody's to blame."

Aunt Cass sighed. "That pig of a man and GoGo are to blame. But I suppose I can't beat up Yama and GoGo now, can I?"

Tadashi smiled at the idea. He reached up and gingerly ran his fingers over the bandage on his forehead. If his Aunt could beat up GoGo, he wouldn't stop her. Looking at the light above his head, he reached up, dimming it. Behind him, Vanellope, Honey, Fred, and Jordan dozed off while Ralph stood watch in case an unpleasant surprise attacked them. Diana snored up at the wheel, where her chair was leaned down as far as it would go. Baymax, after treating the various wounds, had retired to his charging box.

Aunt Cass leaned against Tadashi and hugged him. "I hope he'll be alright."

Tadashi ducked his head. "He will. I guess it just needs time." He looked away. "But I'm worried about how he's gonna see me now. I don't want him to avoid me, but I don't…" he sighed and rubbed his neck. "I shouldn't have…"

Aunt Cass reached forward and gripped his shoulder. "Tadashi, if you didn't, GoGo would've taken Hiro. I would rather have two bloody boys than one unscathed," she said. "Sometimes, you have to do those things. But as far as how we deal with it now…he probably will avoid you. I think it'd be perfectly natural. You know, just let him get over it, and life will return to normal. Like you said, it just needs time."

"But…" Tadashi started.

"You can't be with him all the time," Cass said, still fingering Hiro's hair. "You'll eventually have to back off and give him his own space. It's perfectly normal for you to badger and baby over him when he's little, but when he grows up, he'll be able to make his own choices and…" She shrugged. "He'll fly out from under your wing. It's gonna happen sometime now. He is almost fifteen. And after that, he'll be sixteen."

"I didn't _baby_ over him," Tadashi protested.

"You did baby over him. It was adorable. You _insisted_ that you and Hiro share the same bed in case he woke up with a bad dream," she sighed. "At eight years old, you took your role as big brother _very_ seriously."

"And you think I still do?" he asked.

Cass shrugged again. "You might. I mean, all brothers are different. Some are really close. Others hate each other. Some are on and off. He may like your babying, for all I know. But as he grows older, he'll want his freedom."

Then, the head in Tadashi's lap stirred. "T…Aunt…mmm," Hiro moaned and fluttered his eyes open. He rolled his head. "Aunt Cass?"

"Yes, sweetie. I'm here." Cass sighed. "You had me worried to death. I nearly started stress eating."

Hiro managed a weak smile before he looked up at his brother. Tadashi tried to force a smile. "Lie still and sleep. You need rest." Hiro looked down his body, noting his clothes were changed and his wounds treated. "Baymax," Tadashi explained. Hiro nodded before adjusting his position. Tadashi pursed his lips and sighed.

"Tadashi," Hiro murmured. Tadashi looked down to see Hiro's eyes open. "I'm sorry for screaming at you."

( 0—0 )

"Hiro fixed it, so he should do it." Diana gestured to Hiro, who stood with the GPS in his hands. "Go for it, bud."

Hiro smiled and held up the GPS briefly, giving it a small hopeful shake. "Here goes." Then, he held down the power button. The screen remained dark. Then, a tinkling tune filled the air and the logo lit up on the screen. Everyone gave a triumphant cheer.

" ** _PLEASE SELECT DESTINATION_** ," The GPS demanded.

"Here. Lemme see it for a sec." Diana held out her hand and Hiro gave it over. She fiddled around the buttons, typing in the factory by name. It took her a good five minutes before she got it to work.

" ** _PLEASE DRIVE ALONG HIGHLIGHTED ROUTE_** ," Diana revved up the car and soon, they were off. With no speed limits, they shaved lots of time off their journey to the ruins, but it slogged up when they reached the roads, maneuvering around garbage heaps, rubble, wreckage, and fallen buildings. More than twice the GPS told them, " ** _RECALCULATING_**."

"Man, I'm already getting annoyed, and it hasn't even been an hour," Jordan griped. "Can we just tell it to shut up? Silent mode? Earbuds so only Di can hear it?"

"You can't plug earbuds into a GPS, Jordan." Tadashi shot him a look.

"Does anyone want to play Scrabble Slam?" Honey Lemon asked. "Me and Vanellope are playing a game."

"Ooh! Me!" Fred shot up his hand.

"Anyone else? Last call," Honey Lemon said, shuffling the cards.

"Why not?" Hiro shrugged and clambered into the trunk.

"Not me. Right now? I'm taking it easy," Jordan called, rolling down the window. "Going slow." He sighed in pleasure as he leaned his chair ack, crossing his legs and lacing his fingers behind his head.

"Alright. Here, Vanellope, choose the word."

"Got it. Goat," she said confidently.

"Okay. Cards are dealt, ready, set, go!" Honey called out.

"Moat!" "Goat!" "Goal!" "Foal." "Fool." "Pool." "Poll." "Doll" "Dill." "Hill." "Dill." "Dull." "Mull." "Hull." "Hall."

Tadashi listened to them go, chuckling to himself. "You're missing it, Jordan."

"Nah. What I'm missing is the AC. DI! Could you crank up the AC?" Jordan hollered. "I'm melting back here."

"The window is open!" Di called back.

"Yeah, but the air is hot!"

"The AC is broken; did I tell you?"

"You're kidding!" Jordan shot up. "Aw heck! Whatever." Jordan started to undo his button-down until it was open and flapping by the open window. "Ah. This feels better anyway." He grinned. "All I need is a straw hat and some shades."

"With all this junk and trash, I don't think it'll be that hard to find some lying around," Ralph observed. "But you'd still look weird anyway."

"Whoa." Jordan peered at him through one eye. "What are you saying, dude?"

"He's saying politely that your face looks like an ape," Diana called from the front, looking at him through the rearview mirror.

"You guys can't tell an ape from a mosquito!" Jordan shot back. "Tadashi knows how things work. Right? I don't look like an ape."

"No."

"See? _See_? Tadashi's got it! _He_ can tell. Pound it." Jordan winked and clicked his teeth as he and Tadashi bumped fists before resuming his position, letting his dark hair whip him in the face. "No apes here except for yourselves," he sniffed. "Now let this guy have a break."

"If a beauty sleep's what you need, that's okay with us," Ralph said.

"That is _exactly_ what this is," Jordan said without opening his eyes.

"Brit!" "Brat!" "Blat!" "Slat!" "SLIT! Whoo hoo! Fredzilla _wins_!" Fred hooted.

"Rematch." Hiro pointed a finger at him. "You got all the wild cards."

"Guys?"

"Look, I dealt out the cards fair and square."

"Guys."

"Yeah, and I won fair and square, too."

"Guys."

"Still. Rematch."

"Guys."

"Yeah. And I'm gonna beat you, too, Hiro, so watch out."

"Guys."

"Pfft! Just try."

"Hey GUYS!" Diana shouted. The car went quiet as it slowed to a halt.

The GPS beeped. " ** _YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT YOUR DESTINATION_**."

( 0—0 )

"It's not here!" Vanellope kicked at the front desk. She rested her hands on her hips and huffed. "Someone else can look for it."

The deserted factory office's floor had caved in and the desk had fallen a floor down. Only half of it was intact, and the rest…well, was totaled. It was dark, except for the sunlight that filtered through broken windows. Rubble lay on the floor, covered in a fine powder of dust.

"Here. Let me have a go." Hiro came up and slung his rifle over his shoulder, pulling open the desk drawers and sifting through the junk. "Hold this." He tossed his jacket to Vanellope.

She caught it awkwardly. "I checked there. Seven times," she sighed.

"All of the drawers?"

"Yes."

"Seven times each?"

" _Yes._ " Vanellope shook her bangs out of her face. "It's hot in here."

"Yeah. Where's the AC?" Jordan asked.

"If there was any AC, it's been dead a long time," Diana sighed.

Hiro opened a drawer and pulled out all the papers stashed inside, scattering them across the floor, crumpled. "It's gotta be here somewhere," he grumbled.

"Hiro—!" Vanellope started, horrified, shaking her hands at the mess.

"It's not like anyone would care!" Hiro countered, bending down and completely sticking his head in the drawer, feeling around for anything. Anything at all. But there was nothing. He pulled his head out and wiped sweat off his brow. "Drat."

"Maybe there's a secret compartment?" Tadashi asked innocently. Sweat glistened on his forehead and his shirt was a dark wet in many places. "False bottom?"

Hiro scoffed from inside the desk drawer. " _Secret compartment._ For a receipt?" He banged his head on the desk and gave a strangled scream, biting his tongue to avoid spitting out a cuss word. "Stupid—little—"

"Careful, Hiro. You're treading on dangerous ground," Tadashi reminded.

"There's no swear jar out here, bro. I'm a free man."

"Not when I'm around." Tadashi crossed his arms. "You're not even a man yet."

"Whoa what? I'm a man!"

"Nope. You're a man when you know how to shave and get your first facial hair."

"I can shave! And I grew my first facial hair when I was a baby! My _eyebrows._ "

"Eyebrows don't count. We all have eyebrows." Tadashi stroked his chin. "It's gotta be the serious facial hair, Hiro."

"Well what do you know? You're just some nerd who eats carrots and watches Over the Garden Wall."

"Oh I know plenty. Plenty enough to know that you secretly love Over the Garden Wall and still complain over eating carrots."

Hiro sniffed. "Well, even if I do, that's not going to help me find that receipt. It would be easier if their computers were still working." He looked down at a sorry-looking monitor. "But I don't think that's gonna happen any time soon. Where do companies stash receipts?" Hiro sat down and ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. "Drat." He let out a breath and looked at the desk. "I could reboot the entire system…if I had the tools to get one computer working."

Tadashi looked up. "You think you can do it?"

Hiro pursed his lips. "I think I can. And if I can't, I can try…"

"Try? There is no try. Do, do not," Jordan said in a Yoda voice. "You could do it. You're a hacker genius. I bet five dollars."

A giggled slipped past Vanellope's lips. "I _dare_ you," she smirked.

Hiro stuck out his lip and blew a raspberry. "Well now I _have_ to do it," he complained. "You ruin everything."

Vanellope threw his leather jacket at him and laughed.

( 0—0 )

In a few days, the factory's computer system was up and running. Hiro had managed to salvage the data from a computer backup he'd discovered. Legs crossed, he sat in front of a web of monitors and computers, typing away on a dusty keyboard. Ralph, Tadashi, Jordan, and Vanellope crowded around and watched him demonstrate his gift.

"You lost me," Jordan murmured. "What are you doing?"

Hiro sighed and gave a skyward glanced. "For the twentieth time, I'm attempting to hack past this security guard to get into the private data of the factory. That's probably where the receipt info is being stashed."

"Ooooh," Jordan nodded slowly before furrowing his brow and smacking his lips. "What's a security guard?"

"Just let him work," Ralph shushed him.

"When I rebooted the system, they wouldn't let me in unless I had a code, so I'm hacking past it." Hiro bent back over the computer. "But I can crack this."

Sighing, Tadashi shook his head. "Learning to professionally hack at age 7. Sad."

"Amazing," Ralph breathed. "Mind blowing, even."

"The only mind that isn't blown is his." Tadashi planted a finger in Hiro's hair.

Suddenly, there was a small beeping. On the screen, a loading bar had completed, announcing that Hiro was into the system. He grinned impishly. " _Bow down to me_ ," he said under his breath. Within minutes, he maneuvered through the system and had accessed the receipt information, scrolling through what seemed like endless logs.

"So while he's doing stuff, can I go grab something to drink?" Jordan asked.

"No one's stopping you," Ralph said, his eyes glued to Hiro's mouse movements on the screen.

Promptly, Jordan stood and left the hot factory. "Tell me when something happens!" he called over his shoulder.

"I'm not finding anything that would match a mass order of metal," Hiro reported. "It's all…just regular sized orders. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Have you reached the bottom?" Vanellope asked.

"No."

"Then keep looking." Tadashi finished for her.

Sighing, Hiro complied.

"So what happens when he finds the order?" Vanellope questioned. "Is it gonna tell us who ordered it and where they are?"

"It should tell us where the metal was delivered, at least." Tadashi shrugged.

"Uh…huh. Absolutely," Hiro said absentmindedly over his shoulder.

Vanellope sat, watching Hiro skim. Strangely, her breath had lodged in her throat, but it felt like her stomach. Would they find what they wanted? Would they advance to square two? Well, there were only two ways this could end. They found the info, or they didn't. For the sake of making a breakthrough that much sweeter, she committed herself to guessing the latter.

"Whoa," Hiro said slowly. "Hold up." He leaned closer to the computer. "This is off," he muttered.

"What?" Ralph asked.

"It's almost like someone deleted a log. There's a humongous gap between last year and the date…when the Cybugs invaded. Like they had no business for five months. It's off."

"I agree." Ralph nodded. "It just sounds wonky."

"And…I think I know why." Hiro opened up a terminal window and started typing in commands and long strings of gibberish. At least, gibberish to the others. He sat straight up and threw his hands up in the air. "BOW DOWN!" he shouted, making the others jump.

"Tone it down!" Tadashi hit Hiro over the head.

His brother hardly noticed. "I just hacked it!"

"I…thought you already did that," Ralph said slowly.

"Yeah, but I hacked into their special orders, and I think I found our guy." Hiro selected a large paragraph of information, copying it to a separate document and transferring it to a USB. He terminated the hacking window and opened his drive, where he opened his document.

Vanellope's heart felt like it was threatening to stop. Leaning closer, she viewed the document information. "This makes no sense," she said finally.

"No. No, no, no! It looks like gibberish, but you just have to decode it…like…so, and then, you have it spelled out in plain English!"

Vanellope squinted. "NJP…GF…2…406? What kind of an address is that?"

"New-Japan Private Government Facility, number 2406," Hiro explained.

"How do we find top-secret government facility that probably isn't on the GPS?"

"That's easy. The government keeps their labs outside of San Fransokyo, usually on coastal islands. We just need to get a chart on the island labs and then get there by boat. Bet we could find a motorboat lying around here somewhere."

"And how do you know this…stuff?" Vanellope waved her hands.

Hiro felt silent and twiddled his thumbs. "Well. Well…you…you see…"

A firm hand clenched Hiro's shoulder and he was whirled around and met with a stern face. "Hiro, did you hack into the government system?" Tadashi asked seriously.

Hiro pursed his lips took a deep breath. "Once," he peeped.

"What were you thinking?! _Numbskull_!"

"I'm gonna have to do it again if I want to find a chart of the labs!" Hiro admitted.

Tadashi let go of Hiro and closed his eyes, trying to compose himself. "Ordinary people…" he breathed, "…do not hack into government systems."

"I'm not ordinary," Hiro snickered. "I'll admit. They have one of the best firewalls I've ever hacked past. But they couldn't withstand me." He grinned and turned back to the computer.

Hiro had hacked into the government system, found a map, and transferred it to the USB drive in an hour. The island was located just off the shore of San Fransokyo, which made it easier for them. The only thing that they were having problems with was that the water was bursting with Cybug acid, meaning no touching the water unless someone wanted stings. After a few days, they found an undamaged boat in someone's abandoned garage. Only needing gasoline, the motor was functional. Stealing some free gas from a station's abandoned pump, they had attached the boat to a trailer they'd also salvaged and attached it to the back of the car. The team was set within four days.

"That about does it," Vanellope called after she had roped down the boat. A quick double check reaffirmed her knots were secured. One of the skills she'd learned from GoGo. Questions was then reawakened in her mind. GoGo would find them. There was no doubt about it. It was only a matter of when.

"Can I sit in the boat?" Hiro asked.

"No," Tadashi said flatly and loaded their gear into the car trunk.

"Please?"

"No."

"What? Think I'll fall out? I have these, you know." Hiro flexed his wrists. "Do you know why I have them? It's so I can hold onto things. Grab them. Like the boat. So I don't fall out."

"You can ride in the car." Tadashi ignored Hiro.

"But it would be fun!" Vanellope protested. "Please?"

"If you fell out, GoGo wouldn't be very happy," Ralph reminded her.

"A fall from a moving vehicle at fast speeds can lead to bodily harm," Baymax stated. "I do not suggest this course of action."

"We won't fall out," Hiro sputtered. "It's flat, anyway!"

"Hiro, the answer is no," Aunt Cass called from inside the car.

"I…I kind of want to…too," Jordan admitted.

"Ya'll are crazy," Diana said in a southern accent and shook her head.

"Yeah! We should!" Fred agreed.

"Why not?" Honey Lemon nodded. "It'd be nice to have some air."

"Well you all can't be on there at the same time," Tadashi grumbled, knowing he'd lost the fight. "Three or four at a time."

"I CALL DIBS!" Hiro cried, hopping onto the trailer.

"I call dibs, too!" Vanellope scampered up into the boat.

"I'm coming, because I'm gonna keep an eye on you two," Tadashi said and climbed up. "And Honey Lemon can come up, too," he said, offering a hand to Honey, who took it. Both turned red as their hands touched. Hiro made a scrunched-up face and pretended to barf silently behind their backs.

Vanellope hit him and giggled. "Alright! We're loaded!" she called.

"Aaaaw." Fred and Jordan hopped into the car dejectedly.

"Hmm." Di looked at them. "Ooo…kay," she said slowly and hopped into the car behind the wheel. "Well, hold on tight, back there! And in the event that you fall, _I won't pay your medical bills_!" she laughed and revved the car.

Tadashi and Honey sat back in the boat. When the car started to move, her blonde hair streamed out behind her. She clicked her tongue and rallied it all behind her ears. "I should put it up." She started to bunch her hair up on top of her head.

Tadashi touched her wrist. "No, don't," he said quickly. When Honey turned to give him an odd look, he blushed. "I…well, I like it down," he admitted.

It was Honey's turn to blush. She finally let her hair fall back down with a smile. Tadashi returned it with one of his own and averted his eyes. He looked up at the front, where Hiro watched the dust billow up behind them. He threw his arms up and whooped as tears sprang to his eyes at the contact with the dry wind. Tadashi beamed fondly at him, watching Hiro unleash his little-boy side.

Vanellope joined Hiro up front. "Hiro?" she asked just above the wind.

"Yeah?"

"Did…you know the whole GoGo and Yama incident that happened, right?"

"Uh huh. What about it?"

With a little breath, Vanellope turned away. "GoGo let us off too easily," she said finally. "I know her."

Hiro's face fell. "Your point?"

"My point is that she's not gonna let you guys win like this. She _is_ going to track you guys down and we _will_ run into her again. It's just a matter of when."

Hiro looked down, his brow furrowed. "And…you…are suggesting?"

"I don't know," Vanellope huffed suddenly. "I have no idea what I'm suggesting. I'm not suggesting anything! Wait—no, yeah. Nothing. I…" she sighed. "I think we should at least be prepared. She likes to sneak up. I have no idea how she'll try to pull it off on us. She's mad at you all, so I don't think it'll be pretty with you guys."

Hiro nodded. "Gotcha. So stay prepared?"

Vanellope pursed her lips and nodded. "Yeah."

"Look at you two, so serious and stuff," Tadashi called.

Vanellope and Hiro turned to look at him. "What?" they asked.

"You both look so grim," Tadashi laughed. "You would've thought that you both hold the fate of the world in your hands. Grave faced, you know? _Lovebirds_ ," He teased before quickly retracting, snickering.

"You watch your mouth, bro," Hiro hissed. "And I wouldn't be so quick to talk anyhow, eh?" he crossed his arms smugly. "You sitting back there with a pretty girl, telling her to let her hair down and holding hands. YeeeeAAAah! Think I didn't notice? Holding hands? OooOOOoooh." Hiro held a finger to his mouth and batted his eyes.

Red-faced, Tadashi released Honey's hand, turning away. "Just shut up."

"Hypocrite!" Hiro accused, pointing a finger.

"YeeeeEEEEEEEEeeeehaaaAAAAAAH" Diana hollered from the front. "Government lab number something or another on some weird island thing that's probably holding a lot of Cybugs and danger and weird mad scientists, HERE WE COME!"

( 0—0 )

"They were here," Calhoun said, standing up. "Look what I found." She stopped. "GoGo? Are you paying any attention?"

Staring into the horizon, GoGo turned her head. "Yeah."

Calhoun walked up to her. "I found this on the ground." She held out her hand. In her palm was a small hair clip, the shade of a peeps, decorated with a swirly mint.

GoGo picked it up, fingering the clip. "She was here."

"I said that."

"And I don't care that you did. Wasabi!" GoGo yelled.

He came running. "Yeah?"

"They were here, and I want to find out where they are now. You and Francis scout ahead. Take cruisers. Cadence? Taffyta?"

The two girls perked when they heard their names called. "Did you want to see me, GoGo?" Taffyta called. "I'm right here! I'm coming!"

"Both of you. You've seen what we're up against. I want you to start planning a strategy against them. Consider weak spots, shifty allies, anything you can come up with. Anything that looks like a way in. We can use it."

"Right away, GoGo. You won't be sorry!" Taffyta called and turned on her heels to grab a piece of paper.

Slowly, Cadence approached the beast. "G…GoGo?" she said quietly.

"What is it, Cadence?"

Looking down at her feet, Cadence clasped her hands behind her back. "I would rather not participate in the strategy…making."

GoGo turned her full attention to her. "Why is that?"

She licked her dry lips. "I…with all due respect, they may be your enemies, but to me, they're my friends. And I don't want help them get hurt."

Taking in a deep breath, GoGo held out her hand. "What do you see?"

"…is…is that Vanellope's hair clip?"

"Yep. And she's out there. She's your friend, yeah?"

"Yes."

"She's also my sister. And I don't want to see her get hurt. Do you think I want to cut down Hiro and his friends?"

Cadence considered before slowly shaking her head.

"I will do whatever necessary to protect Vanellope. You know we lost our parents. I couldn't bear to lose Vanellope, too. The fact that Hiro has sucked Vanellope into this hazardous dead-end chase sets me on edge, because she has no idea what she's getting herself into. If she gets hurt, I have every right to blame Hiro. So you can see why I want to find her.

"I want to keep my sister safe from Hiro, from what he has dragged her into, and what could happen if we don't find her soon. And chances are Hiro won't give her up without a fight. And that's why I need you to come up with a strategy. To bring back Vanellope, and Diana, hopefully without hurting the others."

"I…"

"So can you make a strategy for me?"

Cadence pursed her lips before wrinkling her brow. "But…Hiro is also my friend…and you're describing him like a reckless, idiotic brute…but he's not like that. He wouldn't want to hurt Vanellope in any way—"

"Cadence," GoGo cut her off and leaned down close. "Just go with Taffyta and work on that strategy," she said in a low tone.

Subdued and now sorry she had brought it up, Cadence meekly nodded her head before quickly walking away to find Taffyta.

"You didn't mean that. Did you?"

GoGo turned. "Which part?"

"The part about not wanting to hurt Hiro." Calhoun crossed her arms.

Slowly, GoGo clenched her hand around the hair clip in her palm. "I'll break _every single bone in his body_ when I find him," she growled.

( 0—0 )

"Here we go, guys. We're crossing the bridge," Jordan announced. "This is actually happening," he breathed. "Part of me can't even believe we've made it this far."

"Believe it," Di said and slung an arm over his shoulders, holding out her other hand in front of them. "If we ever exterminate the Cybugs, there will be posters of our faces on the streets, parades in our honor, songs, we'll be heroes. _Legendary._ "

"I dunno." Ralph squinted and yawned. "I don't ever really wanna become famous. All this fanfare and parties and stuff sounds so bland." He waved a hand.

"Heeeey," Vanellope said slowly. "You used to tell me stories of when you'd win a big, shiny medal and live in a giant penthouse on the very top floor. Then you and your friends would have disco parties every night with ice sculptures and mimosas and dance floors and fireworks and cakes and—"

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT enough of that. Thank you, Vanellope," Ralph dismissed her and sniffed. "We don't want to hear any of that."

Vanellope giggled and Ralph hoisted her onto his shoulders. She waved down at Aunt Cass, who waved back up at her. "Hey, Ms. Cass!" she called, and Cass waved back up at her. "Hey HIRO!" Vanellope called. "Looking even shorter over there!"

Hiro turned and blew a raspberry. "Yeah, but in real life, who's shorter? You or me? I'm growing, thank you very much!"

"Little by little." Tadashi ruffled his hand. "Your hair is growing faster than you, by the looks of it," he said and ran his fingers through Hiro's pony tail.

"This is pretty big, isn't it?" Fred stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe we will be heroes," he said wistfully. "And just think. A giant poster of my face. Hey, if we do become a team, we should call ourselves 'Fred's Angels!' And here, I even came up with a theme song for it! _Six intrepid friends led by Fred, their leader Fred! Fred's Angels, mm mm mmm. Fred's Angels, mm mm mmm. Harnessing the power of the sun with the ancient amulet they found in the attic. The amulet is green, mm mm mmm. It's probably an emerald, mm_ —"

"Fred," Ralph said quickly. "Just stop. There's more than six of us. And what's this I hear about an amulet? There was no emerald amulet in this entire endeavor."

"I wonder what will happen if we ever do get rid of the Cybugs," Honey Lemon said reflectively. "Maybe I'll finish college and major in chemistry. And then I'll get married and have three girls—no, four. Yes, four girls sound nice. And maybe a son." She twirled a strand of her hair. "I wonder what I'll name them." She suddenly dropped her hands. "If I make it out of this alive, first."

"Hey." Tadashi placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't talk like that. We're gonna get through this." He looked around at them. "All of us. We'll live to see San Fransokyo restored." He turned back to Honey Lemon. "And yes, you'll get married and have lots of kids."

Hiro turned away, trying to hide his smirking. Those two needed a shove. A really embarrassing shove. "I wonder who your _husband's_ gonna _be_?" he called in a loud voice before Tadashi slapped him.

"Can we get this party going?" Vanellope waved a hand at the bridge and the road ahead. "We've got a date with _destiny_!"

"Can you feel it? Can you guys feel this? Destiny is _calling_ us, dudes!" Fred jumped around excitedly. "This is our origin story! We're gonna save the world with flying colors. We could be _superheroes_ , even! Now let's go kick Cybug butt!"

"You can say that again." Jordan smirked and hopped into the boat. "Okay, my turn this time. Nobody's taking my spot," he declared as Fred joined him in the boat.

"I'll…" Diana looked back and forth between the boat and the car.

"Come ooooon, you know you want to, Di." Jordan gave her a smug raccoon look. He raised his eyebrows and wiggled a finger for her to join them.

Di finally turned. "…drive. NO! Wait…eeeeeiiigh!" She clenched her hair in her fist before turning again. "Yes. I'll drive."

"You're missing out BIG TIME!" Jordan called.

But despite how much Jordan taunted, Diana drove, and Jordan and Fred got to ride in the boat. They whooped like maniacs and laughed impishly over stupid jokes. Tadashi could hear them retell the joke about the blonde saying 'crap' before falling from the jet. They laughed just as hard as they did when they'd first heard it.

"Approaching the Golden Gate Bridge!" Di announced.

"Kind of scary, if you think about it." Ralph scratched his head.

"Why?" Aunt Cass asked.

"Well, the bridge is literally inspected, like, every month, I think, looking for any damage or anything they need to fix. They repaint everything, too. Think about all these months it's gone without maintenance. Wonder if it's still strong enough."

The car went silent. "It'll probably be strong enough for one car to pass," Honey said slowly, as if not sure. "I don't think a car and a trailer is gonna bring the whole thing down."

"I dunno…Cybugs beat it up pretty good," Di murmured.

"Let's not jump to conclusions. We don't _know_ the bridge isn't strong enough," Honey started. "This is all revolving around whether or not the bridge is strong enough. I think we can cross with no trouble." She shrugged. "I know the bridge is probably weak, but that doesn't mean it's gonna break right away. And we'll only be using it twice, right? It'll probably last."

"Okay, then." Di released a puff of air out of her cheeks. "Here we go."

( 0—0 )

"What do you call a fake noodle?" Jordan asked. "An _impasta_!" he hooted.

"Oh, okay. Here's one. What do you call an alligator in a vest?" Fred asked.

"You got me."

"And _investigator_!"

The two boys cracked up. "I got one for you. What's the difference between a bird and a fly?" Jordan held out his hand, asking seriously.

"I don't know."

"A bird can fly, but a fly can't bird! _Get it_?!" Jordan slumped down in the boat and slapped it. "That one's priceless!"

"It's golden! I gotta remember that one." Fred wiped a tear from his eye. "Now how do you fix a tuba? With a _tuba_ glue!"

The two boys again collapsed into laughter. "I bet we're totally making a racket for the other gangs to hear a mile away," Jordan said breathlessly.

"Yeah. I guess you—" Fred stopped, staring.

"Fred? Fred, what are—whoa…" Jordan turned to see what Fred was gawking at. As the car drove by on the bridge, the now gray wires of the suspension bridge loomed over them. Peeling red paint decked the metal ungracefully. Loud and thunderous groaning filled the air as the wires swayed the slightest bit. Or did they sway? Jordan looked above their heads, watched forlornly as the large pillars on either side of the bridge towered above them, looking down as they passed. The bright sky didn't seem to match the dreary mood the bridge cast over them. It was sad. The monument of their home. Like this. Forgotten, old, crying out for care. Yet its cries were falling on deaf ears. Black hair whipped Jordan's cheeks and the hot wind sprang tears to his eyes.

"This is creepy," Fred said and drew his knees closer to his chest. "It almost feels like it could break at any minute."

"…yeah." Jordan sank back into the boat. "It's…gloomy," he murmured. Neither of them were in the mood for jokes anymore. "I wonder if it's gonna break before the Cybugs are gone. And if we do get rid of them, will we be able to fix this?"

"I dunno, dude." Fred shrugged. "I hope so."

"Yeah." Jordan leaned his head on his fist, his eyes downcast. "Me too."

Slowly, they made their cautious journey across the groaning bridge. In the eerie silence, it almost sounded like someone and something could be watching them. Jordan caught himself glancing around nervously for any spying eyes. He found none, and only succeeded in freaking Fred out.

"Dude. Whoa, _dude._ You're freaking me out," Fred started to look around as well. "What? Do you see something? Hear something?" his voice wavered nervously. "We chose a bad day to ride in the boat."

Jordan shook his head. "Nah…just watching…nothing, I guess." He peered over his shoulder with teasing eyes. "You're not getting… _scared_ …are you?"

"No way, dude. I faced down the Twins' hypnotic eyeballs with Space Man Zid when I was eight, and took down the kaiju of 2006 with the Jaeger pilots with my bare hands. I'm not scared." Fred sniffed. "Not…really."

Loud groaning split the calm air. Jordan gulped. "Can I be honest with you?"

Fred nodded. "Sure."

"I'm…" Jordan took a deep breath and exhaled. "…a little…concerned."

"Well…if you want me to be honest—!" Fred jumped as the bridged groaned. He looked around. "I'm…scared that one, this bridge could give one last groan before letting us plummet into the water with a whole bunch of wreckage coming down on us and we'll drown if we don't get our heads hit first…and two, that any minute, somebody unpleasant might pop up behind those big pillar-bridge-thingies, and attack us, like, to name a few…uh…" Suddenly unleashing an earsplitting shriek, Fred pointed high above. "CYUBGS!"

The car halted to a quick stop. Jordan jostled in the boat and slowly felt his jeans, afraid he'd wet himself. When he'd confirmed his pants were dry, he looked behind him to where Fred was pointing.

As Fred has said, Cybugs were skittering out from behind the pillars of the bridge. Even a few appeared over the rail, crawling up from beneath. The bridge creaked under their extra weight. "CYBUGS!" Jordan yelled. "GUNS UP! CYBUGS!" he yelled again, cocking his rifle. Fred ducked inside the boat, equipped with no guns of his own, only his fear.

The others stepped out of the car, guns and rifles in hand. Ralph, had his own hands, however. "Don't let them reach the car! Protect the boat!" Di ordered.

" _Fred_!"

Fred perked at his own name. "What?"

"Fred!" Cass said again, waving for him inside the windows. "Get in the car!" she hissed. " _Quickly_!"

Fred quickly jumped out of the boat and into the car, slamming the door closed behind him. He shivered and peeked just above the window. "I…Ms. Aunt Cass?" he peeped. "Can…can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course."

"I…" Fred blinked and squeezed his fists until his knuckles were white. "I…I wet my pants," he whimpered, ashamed.

Cass put a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "Oh, sweetie. It's okay if you're scared. I know how you feel."

"But I feel like a baby! While the others are shooting and doing all the awesomeness and epic fighting, I'm cowering in the car, wetting my pants."

"Sweetie, fighting isn't always hand to hand combat or shooting guns. There are other ways of fighting, and everybody fights differently. It can keep you from being scared, sometimes."

Fred looked up at her, his blue eyes wide. "R…r-really?"

"You know how I fight?" Aunt Cass asked him. "I fight by helping the others. Supporting them, feeding them, helping them make it to the next day so they can keep on fighting. It's my own way of helping them."

Despite the echoing gunshots, the groaning bridge, and screeching Cybugs, Fred smiled a little. He nodded. "Okay. I guess one thing good came out of me wetting my pants," he said slowly. "It means I'm gonna have to change my boxers. I've been putting it off."

Despite the danger just outside the car, Cass managed to laugh.

Outside, chaos. There was no way else to describe it. Cybugs, bullets flying, and people ducking and running. Jordan gripped his gun and pulled the trigger. These da…well, even though it was in his head, he decided not to swear. Ralph was taking on these things no problemo. It must be pretty hard on those fists and knuckles. Ducking at Vanellope's call, a Cybug behind him fell to spiraling bullets in the mouth and eyes. With a ferocious yell, Jordan leapt up and finished it with a cruel bash to the jaw. The metal crunched and the Cybug's lower jaw was hanging by a hinge. It was pushed over the edge of the bridge by Ralph and it went plummeting into the water, crackling and fizzing sparks going out.

"Thanks, my man." Jordan nodded at Ralph. "You too, milady!" He blew a kiss to Vanellope, who ignored him with a scoff.

"JORDAN!" Jordan somersaulted out of the way of a mad Cybug that also went falling over the bridge as Diana ran over to him and helped him up. "They want the car. Ralph, Hiro, and me are on offense. You, Vanellope, Tadashi, play defense."

"Roger that." Jordan sprinted over to the car, taking up his stance next to Tadashi. "How many? Didn't have time to count," Jordan asked.

"13, now. I wish they didn't have to hunt in packs," Tadashi grimaced.

"C'mon, Tadashi! That's the whole point—! Vanellope, on your right!"

"Saw it," Vanellope called, shooting a row of Cybug eggs as soon as they were laid. Green acid exploded.

The others were handling themselves well. Vanellope covered Ralph, Tadashi, Hiro, and Jordan, Diana. Tadashi quickly shot a Cybug approaching Hiro's left. It screeched and ran the other direction, and Hiro didn't even notice. The bug rammed itself by accident into a bridge pillar. As if in response, the bridge creaked. The others paused, afraid of awakening something they didn't want to, but the Cybugs were unconcerned. As a Cybug knocked Hiro's gun away, he resorted to his knife, which he drove into the Cybug's grinding mouth. When it screeched in protest, he stabbed it into the glowing green eyes, and it let out a dying squeal before drooping limp on the ground.

Di, on the other hand, was facing down a Cybug with the face of an old man. The wrinkles on his skin stretched around metal and bulbous lenses replaced the eyes, squeezed into the sockets. Diana hit the ghastly thing with the handle of her gun, driving it back towards the bridge rail. It swatted at her with its long legs, but she fought off each blow with her own. She shot it in the mouth, but the bullet ricocheted and hit a bridge wire. It snapped instantly, but the bridge took no notice. The Cybug took the ticket in and barreled Di to the ground.

Jordan screamed out for her. He held up his gun and shot. His trembling hand threw off the aim and the bullet hit the ground three feet away. He made another shot, but the bullet again missed. Like this, he'd never be able to make a good shot without the chances of hitting Di. Abandoning his spot, he ran forward and whacked the Cybug on the wrinkling forehead. "HEY!" he yelled. "GETTAWAY!" He finally stood between Di and the Cybug. "Not today, grandpa."

"Jordan, get out of here!" Diana urged, trying to tug him away, but Jordan took no notice of her, so she stood up and ran to grab her gun which had fallen on the ground near the car. Jordan fired his rifle into the Cybug's eyes, missed, tried again, and hit it in the right eye. Now it was mad. As if it's screeching couldn't convey its anger, though, it barreled into the boy, caught off guard. Jordan went flying back, slamming against the rail of the bridge. The Cybug skittered up to him and tried to push him off. With one hand, Jordan gripped the rail and his watch fell into the water many feet below. More feet than he wanted to count. He gulped. "HELP!" he screamed. "PLEASE HELP!"

As the Cybug was about to push him off, Hiro leapt into the way and shot it underneath. It went limp and fell past Jordan into the water with a splash. "Not today, grandpa," Hiro said quickly before offering a hand to Jordan. With a relieved breath, he took it, and Hiro hauled him back over the rail. "You nearly went for a swim, there," he remarked with a grunt.

"In all that Cybug acid? No thank you," Jordan puffed when he was over the rail on the safe side. "Not my cup of tea." The two boys stood up.

As Hiro turned to rejoin the rest, his vision suddenly flashed black and a piercing ringing filled his ears. Someone called his name in the distance. They sounded alarmed. The voice faded. Then a cold whipped his skin, flying past. Something was with him. Something big. His hair flew into his face, his gun flew out of his hand, and he flew…down. He was flying down. Falling. Before he knew what had hit him, another cold broke against his back, shattering with a sharp spray of icy bullets that splattered against his skin before he was engulfed by cold. A sharp stinging commenced around his entire body, and it hurt insanely. Just as his vision blinked in again, dark with a light above him, something black covered his view, pushing, pressing him downward. Away from air. The ringing in his ears blocked all noise. His world went black.

"HIRO!" Jordan yelled as his friend fell into the depths below. The same that had threatened to submerge him less than a minute ago. His heart pounding inside his chest and he felt his body tense until it hurt. He gripped the edged of the bridge and looked below at the frothy bubbles where Hiro and that Cybug had once been. Now, it was just water.

Hiro was drowning.

( 0—0 )

"We need to help!" Francis urged.

Wasabi only looked on grimly from their perch on the bay cliffs.

"That Cybug just rammed Hiro! We can't leave them like this!"

"Boy, quiet."

"And Jordan needs our help, too—!"

" _Francis_!" Wasabi snapped. The boy went silent. "We can't blow our cover. GoGo told us to—"

"Heck what GoGo says! They may be _her_ enemies, but they're _our_ friends! _Jordan_ is my friend! He's your friend, too! So are the others! Are you just going to sit here and watch from our safe spot while they lose Hiro? What of Tadashi?"

Wasabi took a deep breath. "We…we have rules," he said slowly before standing up. "We don't break them."

Dumbly, Francis stared up at him. "Rules?" he scoffed. "We have _rules_?!"

Wasabi turned and slung the cruiser off his shoulder, throwing it in front of him, where it unfolded and hovered. He stepped on. "We need to get back."

"Sab', I can't _believe_ you!" Francis yelled.

"Well you'd better, because I'm serious is saying that if you don't get on this hover board, I will leave you here!" he yelled back.

Neither of them said anything and a tension hung in the air. Francis took the silence to question the threat. Wasabi never lied. Then, with a sigh, Francis stepped onto the cruiser behind Wasabi, clasping his hands around his waist. "At least if you left me here, I'd help them," he muttered under his breath.

Wasabi said nothing and flew off across the sandy hills.


	24. Chapter XXIII: Venture Forth

Diana's head suddenly split with the sound of Jordan's scream. She had practically raised him since his amnesia. She knew when he was screaming about something bad. Really bad. She whirled around to see her bugger leaning over the edge of the rail. A large chunk of the thing seemed ripped out, like something had barreled into it. A protective switch flipped on inside her head, making her run until she was by his side. She looked down into the water. "What? Jordan, what is it?" she asked frantically and placed a hand on his back, her voice laced with urgency. "Is…"

Jordan didn't move. He still clenched the rail, staring at the water. Sweat dripped off his pale face and his eyes were wide. He was as rigid as a block of iron. " _He's drowning_ ," he choked, almost inaudible.

Di felt her gut wrench. With no hesitation, she flew to the car, where Ralph pounded the last Cybug. They went by her in a colored blur. Ripping the trunk open, she grabbed a small pack out from behind the rest of the bags and luggage, running back to Jordan.

"Diana? Di! What's wrong?" Ralph asked quickly.

She didn't stop to answer. Her tendons felt strained from taking such large strides. Hair escaped her braid, streaming behind her.

"DIANA!" Ralph called.

"IT'S HIRO!" Jordan cried. "HE FELL!"

Tadashi froze. A second later, her tore after Diana.

She didn't pause to let him catch up and in a blink, she threw the pack in front of her, where it unfolded into a small hoverboard. She leapt on.

"Holy crow, what is _that_?" Ralph called.

Diana maneuvered the cruiser away from the bridge. Jordan watched as she sharply turned and dropped. His eyes stretched even wider. "DIANA!" he called after her.

She pulled the cruiser level just above the water. In the depths of her mind, she knew the water was tinted with Cybug acid. She was in for some stings with this swim. Then she jumped off the cruiser and dove into the water. A splash announced her disappearance and froth was all that remained.

The first thought that sucker-punched her brain was that this water was freaking cold. Colder than the freezer at her grandma's. Her head told her to go up and get out of this God-forsaken pit of melted ice, but her gut told her to go down. Her head was sensible, but she was down here because of her gut, and she wasn't backing out now. Making frog-like motions, she swam down, where the water became darker. The sun still penetrated through the surface, illuminating the shape of a metal Cybug. Swimming deeper, her mind growing dizzy, she saw a limp hand. A limp arm. A limp body, and finally, Hiro. Small bubbles drifted past his lips, and his eyes were closed. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought he was dead already. Just as she grabbed his arm, sharp pain pierced her head. A lack of oxygen. Air. She needed air.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she yanked Hiro out from underneath the Cybug. Pulling his lifeless body to hers, she opened her eyes to watch the Cybug sink farther and farther to the bottom of the bay. And now that she had Hiro, it could go with her blessing. Black stars blinked in and out of her vision, but it took every inch of her strength to tow Hiro up with her. Finally, her head gave her one last warning. She let Hiro go and swam madly for air. Just as her lips broke the surface, she smoothed her hair out of her face and dove down once more. She grabbed the boy under his arms and around his chest, hauling him up. The light was close, rippling behind the roof of water. The roof that was so close she could just…

Diana gasped for air, and her lungs were satisfied, sucked into her whole body. She was alive. Pulling Hiro up after her, she hefted his body onto the cruiser that still hovered loyally where she had left it. She slung her arms over it, coughing, fire burning her throat. Her skin also prickled from the pulsing stings of acid. Above her, she could hear Jordan yell that they were alright. She only gathered up the wet Hiro in her arms and righted herself on the cruiser, pulling it up back to the bridge. When she stepped off the hoverboard and laid Hiro out on the ground, she leaned back and coughed, once more slicking her hair out of her face.

Jordan ran to her. "Diana! Di! Di, Di, Di! Is…Hiro! Is he?" he bombarded her with questions, but she waved them off, pulling at the water-logged clothes that clung to her skin.

Tadashi ran and skidded to his knees in front of his brother. He waved a hand over Hiro's face but when he felt no breath, he quickly leaned down, pinched Hiro's nose, and pressed his lips to his, blowing in puffs of air. Drawing back up, he quickly placed his palms on Hiro's chest, pumping. He leaned down again, locked mouths, blew, and pumped again.

Diana and Jordan watched on, apprehensive.

"They brought him back! Di brought Hiro back!" they heard Vanellope call to the car. She ran up to them. "He's—" she froze when she saw Tadashi performing CPR.

"Come _ON_!" Tadashi yelled. " _Please_!" He leaned down and did another mouth-to-mouth, his eyes wet. "Don't you _dare_ die on me," he hissed and pumped. "Please…please…come on," he repeated, almost out of breath. He locked mouths, blew, and pumped.

Suddenly, Hiro's eyes snapped open and he jolted as Tadashi pressed down on his chest. A cough rattled his throat. Diana gave a cry of relief and clutched Jordan as Tadashi turned Hiro over, letting him vomit water onto the pavement. It sprayed from his mouth with each cough, until he finally sat up and gave a soggy moan.

Tadashi grabbed Hiro's face, fingers running through his wet hair. "DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT _AGAIN_!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, staring earnestly into Hiro's brown eyes.

His brother stared back at him, still pulling in deep breaths. When a silence ensued, Hiro finally hung his head. "I'm sorry," he said, voice wavering.

Tadashi watched his brother shake in his hands before quickly pulling him into a hug. "No. No, no, I'm sorry, Hiro. I'm sorry," he said quietly, rubbing Hiro's back. "I shouldn't have yelled. It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry." He placed his hand over his damp hair, ruffling it gently. "I shouldn't have yelled."

Hiro leaned into Tadashi's shoulder, the warmth from his chest soothing his own goosebumps. He shivered.

Tadashi slowly pulled away. "You nearly gave me a heart attack," he breathed, holding Hiro by the shoulders. Hiro still didn't meet his eyes. Tadashi tried a small, apologetic smile.

Then, Cass ran up to them and flung her arms around both of their necks. No words were said between the three, but all was implied. Hiro slowly pulled his arms around his aunt and brother.

"I say, kid. I nearly soiled myself because you," Ralph remarked.

"Thank you, Diana," Cass said slowly, turning to the woman who sat, still sopping wet. "Thank you."

Diana smiled and nodded. "I'd say anytime, but…" she trailed off and chuckled. "But seriously…you're welcome."

Tadashi, Hiro, and Cass stood up. A big wet spot stained Tadashi's shirt where Hiro had been pressed against. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

Hiro nodded and coughed. "Just cold. And wet. And I sting." He shivered again underneath his leather jacket.

Diana nodded and stood up. "Yeah. Cybug acid. I sting, too." She rubbed her arms. "Think that robot's got a trick up his sleeve?"

( 0—0 )

"Hi." Tadashi smiled as he rounded the car, where, in the shadow cast, Hiro dried himself off. He nodded at the pink, polka-dot towel. "Did you get that from Honey?" he asked casually.

Hiro pulled the towel closer around his shoulders. "Yeah. She lent it to me," he replied and shivered again. "But I'm not keeping it like she told me to, though," he grumbled.

Tadashi laughed and leaned against the suburban. "Hey. Um, about what happened…back there," he started. Tadashi licked his lips and let out a breath. "I really am sorry for yelling at you. I…it came out differently than how I wanted it to. I guess." He pursed his lips. "I wasn't angry out you, I just…"

"It's okay. I get it." Hiro nodded.

Tadashi smiled. "Okay." He pulled Hiro in. "Last hug."

Once again, he leaned into Tadashi's embrace, wrapping his arms around Tadashi's shoulders the best he could with a pink, polka-dot towel shrouding his own.

Then Tadashi whirled the towel off him. "I think we can get your hair dryer than that, eh?" he chuckled. Flopping the towel over Hiro's head, he ruffled the mop of raven hair underneath, massaging his fingers through his scalp and tousling the locks for a messy look. "Just the way you always do it," he laughed.

Hiro looked into the car window. He scoffed gently at his reflection. "Nerd." He gave Tadashi a gentle shove before gathering the hair in a fist, readying a hair tie. The result, a small ponytail.

Tadashi tapped his shoulder with the back of his hand. "C'mon. Diana's had her spray. Time for yours."

Hiro was led away, towel and all, until he stood in front of the massive white robot, who held up a finger. "Please remove the towel before I spray you. Since the towel is of absorbent material, it will obstruct the spray ointment from reaching your skin," he asked. When Hiro had obliged, a thin spray gently moistened Hiro from head to toe. Even through his clothes, the stinging slowly ebbed away.

"I'm in love with that thing." Diana smiled. "Thinking about making others like him? I'll buy one."

"That was actually the plan," Tadashi admitted. "I made a prototype, Baymax, and I was going to improve him but…" He cast an eye down at Hiro, who impishly grinned and looked away. "Hiro made some modifications and he just became too…unique. Pretty soon, he was integrated into our family and…" He shrugged. "I never got around to selling copies of him."

"You refer to it as a 'him,'" Ralph observed.

Tadashi and Hiro shared a look before smiling. "Yep," Hiro said simply.

"One of the signs that we think of him more friend than nurse," Tadashi explained.

Di stuck out a lip. "That's too bad."

"I'm gonna change." Hiro jerked a thumb at the van.

"After that, we're gonna keep going. Before all that commotion attracts anyone else." Ralph looked around.

Hiro circled around the van until he was hidden from view. He whipped the towel off himself and slapped on the car hood, when Jordan popped up.

"Hey."

Hiro stiffened and his heart leapt in his throat as he jumped back with a gasp. "You gave me a _heart attack_ ," he scolded.

"Oh. Sorry. I never meant for you to die from a heart attack," Jordan laughed before looking at his twiddling thumbs. "Or…drowning."

Hiro perked. "W…what?"

Jordan shrugged. "I…didn't mean for you to fall. Off the bridge."

"Well…yeah. Of course you didn't."

"But—!" Jordan stopped himself and sighed. "I feel like it was partially my fault, okay?" he turned away.

Hiro shook his head with a chuckle. "That's crazy—"

"I was the one dangling over the edge of the bridge, and you didn't have to save me. When you did, the Cybug pushed _you_ off the edge. That…that should've been me." He ran his finger through his hair.

Hiro blinked. "So you feel guilty…?"

"Look, I just swallowed my pride to admit this to you, don't bash me, okay?" Jordan snapped. "I just want to say I'm sorry."

"Jordan, come on. Shut up." Hiro waved him off, gripping him by the shoulder. "You did absolutely zero to push me off the edge. It wasn't your fault. It was _my_ choice," he said as Jordan looked down at him. "You dangling over the edge of the bridge? I _chose_ to help you, which included getting hit by that bug. When I gave you that hand up, it meant I was in for everything. Even the drowning deal. But it was my choice, not yours," he grinned. "So stop feeling sorry for yourself when there's no reason. There's zero blame on anyone except myself. You're good."

Jordan smiled back at him and clapped him on the shoulder. "So we're still cool?" he asked hopefully.

Hiro laughed. "Yeah. We're cool." He held out his fist.

With a laugh of his own, Jordan returned the fist bump.

( 0—0 )

The bridge didn't collapse under the weight of a suburban and its trailer as it made its way across. The rest of the drive was uneventful. With the help of their faithful GPS, they successfully found a dock, where Ralph slid their motor boat into the water. "Alright! Let's go! Load up!" he waved his big hands. "We don't have all day!"

"Ooh, you're eager," Vanellope laughed.

"I can't wait to see the mad scientists over there," Fred said excitedly. "Do you think they have Einstein hair? Or jars with brains floating is green goo?"

"I believe the correct term for that 'goo' you are referring to is _cerebrospinal fluid_." Baymax held up a finger and stated, "However, the shade of cerebrospinal fluid is not green."

Vanellope threw back her head and let out a laugh that sounded like she was lacking air. Quickly, Cass patted her back, giving her hiccups. "Oh, Vanellope, are you okay, there?"

Vanellope coughed, hiccuped, and laughed again. "I'm fine," she managed to choke out. "I'm…I'm just…excited," she said with a big sigh. "About this whole trip," she said again in her suddenly calm mood. The mood didn't last for long. "I mean, I just so excited, that I—whoa, I-I think I'm actually going to vurp."

"Girl, you're gonna _what_?" Di wrinkled her nose.

"It's like a vomit, and a burp, and it's rising—ooh I'm just so EXCITED!" She danced around making little fist bumps.

When the big argument over what should be brought and what should be left behind was finally resolved, they loaded what they were taking onto the boat, locked the car, took the keys with them, and hurried into the boat. Hiro carefully supported Baymax, who stepped on slowly. "That's it, buddy," he encouraged. "One…foot in front of the other."

Jordan yanked at the motor, rewarded with a sputter and a dying groan. He tried again, with the same results. "Dangit. C'mon, _live_ ," he muttered to it.

"Here, let me have a go." Tadashi came over and took the cord from Jordan's hands. He gave three vicious yanks, before the motor gave an angry rumble and a loud whir. "There she goes." He patted the motor.

Aunt Cass jumped as the boat sped out into the open water.

Vanellope crawled up to the front of the boat, enjoying the crisp air buffeting her face until tears leaked from her eyes. Her hair streamed behind her like a black flag, whipping any who got too close. Unfortunately, most of the passengers had to be crowded to the left side of the boat, since Ralph sat alone on the right with their baggage. Only Vanellope sat on her knees, watching the blue-green water speed by in a shining streak.

Come to think of it, living in a city so close to the water, she'd never actually been to the seaside. Her parents had never taken her, and GoGo had positioned Black Gang on the completely other side. 26 miles away from the sea. Now that she was finally here, she wondered what lurked below, watching them, until all that remained of their presence was a foaming froth of bubbles. Were…were there turtles down there? Gosh, she'd love to see one. Could turtles survive in water contaminated with Cybug acid?

Suddenly, all thoughts of underwater life faded from her head. As a result of the contamination, the sea life was probably sick, if not dead. The thought made her sad. She shrank away from her reflection on the water and hugged her knees, looking to the horizon instead.

The sun sank, the boat sped on. At about four in the afternoon, the boat came to rest on the sandy shores of a coastal island, which, according to Hiro, was their destination. There was no big metal building. There were no Cybugs. There were no signs of human life. However, a great welcome to them and a sight for sore eyes, something they had almost forgotten over the years.

Trees.

Lots of trees. Bushes, shrubs, moss, and even flowers. Not dried, dying, sunbaked brown plants. Real, living, healthy green plants. Diana gently kneeled and rubbed her thumb along a blade of grass. "I never thought grass could look so beautiful," she murmured to herself. "I even miss it."

"AAGH! PRETTY TREE!" Fred ran forward and wrapped his arms around the trunk of a dogwood. "I love you, tree," he said in a slurred voice, his cheek pressed up against the bark. "Iyr lrrovef treessh."

"Why is everything growing here, but not back on the mainland?" Honey asked, picking a small flower weed. She twirled it between her fingers for a minute before tucking it into her head band. With one more look to the flowers at her feet, she bent down and picked a bunch of then, carefully stuffing them into her shirt pocket.

"We should find a place to make camp." Tadashi looked around.

"I…kind of want to explore, though," Diana murmured, looking around.

"We should make camp, first. So I can make dinner." Aunt Cass shook her head. "W…wait, where's Fred?" she asked. "He was hugging that tree a minute ago. FRED!" she called out.

Fred popped up behind the distant rise of a hill. "Come back here!" Cass called. "We don't know what's on this island!"

"At least we know GoGo isn't," Ralph sniffed.

"Oh! Sorry!" Fred came running back to them. "But I think I found this cool camp spot! It's, like, literally unnatural. Come check it out, guys!" He waved them over the hill.

Slowly, the others obliged and on the other side of the hill, they stood in surprise.

A small valley was carpeted with green grass, and two trees bent over the grove. Shaded in the cover of shadows, and small rocks poked up from the dirt. It was spacious, comfortable, and almost surreal.

Hiro clicked his teeth and pointed at it. "That's the one."

( 0—0 )

"Sandwiches!" Diana called out. "And they don't have mustard or pickles, so you're a lucky bunch. Don't forget to bow to the cook."

"Oh, they don't have to bow." Cass waved her off.

"Whoa-ho-hoa!" Jordan came up and wiggled his fingers over the plate of sandwiches in Cass's hands. "Mmmm. They all look so delicious, which one to choose?"

"They're all the same." Diana rolled her eyes with a laugh.

"I choose…this one. Thank you, Ms. Hamada!" Jordan quickly bowed to the ground for the fun of it.

Cass shook her head with a smile.

"No way! Hands off, bro! That one's mine." Hiro slapped Tadashi's hand away from a sandwich.

"It doesn't even matter!" Tadashi complained.

"Ja. It does. See, this one has my name written on it." Hiro pointed to the largest sandwich on the plate. "So only looking. No touching." He picked it up, leaving Tadashi to grab a different sandwich. They both kissed Cass on either cheek before running off. Soon, there were only two sandwiches left on the plate. Di and Cass look over at each other before grabbing the sandwiches, bumping them together like glasses before taking a bite.

The others sat around their makeshift fire pit, where Ralph had speared his sandwich onto a stick, holding it out over the fire. Vanellope looked up at him, befuddled. He looked back down at her. "What?" he asked. "It's not socially awkward."

Vanellope shook her head. "Nothing."

"You may want to stay focused on your sandwich, Ralph," Baymax stated from across the fire. "It appears that its hold on your stick is weakening."

"Oh. Thanks, buddy." Ralph quickly took the stick away from the fire and checked his brown sandwich.

"So," Hiro said as he swallowed a bite, lounging in Baymax's lap. "We've deviated from the gang, fixed the GPS, found the factory and the coordinates for the facility, crossed the bridge, and got onto the island, all in one piece, not to mention having a run in with GoGo, braving bot-fighters, Cybugs, and almost drowning by falling off the bridge. What comes next?" he asked and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Hiro," Cass scolded.

"Well, if all goes well, find the facility on the island," Ralph shrugged.

"Yeah, which should be full of mad scientists," Fred piped up.

"Let's hope not. But…we're assuming that whoever made the Cybugs is still in this facility. What if he's not?" Honey asked. "It might be abandoned, for all we know."

"We could get some answers if we dig around. If it's abandoned," Jordan said through a bite of sandwich.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Jordan," Diana scolded.

"Talking with one's mouth full can lead to choking," Baymax said.

"Okay. But what if there's someone there. I'm guessing the facility is gonna be guarded, since it is government stuff," Ralph persisted. "So if somebody's home and we come knocking, and he doesn't let us in, what are we gonna do?"

"Well, that's assuming that whoever is there is a nasty person. I mean, what if he's nice and lets us in?" Honey shrugged. "Maybe…he'll give us the answers we need? To stop the Cybugs?"

"I'm sorry my dear, but I don't believe that is the most likely scenario," Di said apologetically. "What I want to know what we're actually looking for."

"Ways to purge Cybugs from the city," Jordan replied. "Simple."

"But…I mean, are we looking for some device? Instructions on how to build a device? Information on how they're built so we can undermine them there? A special Cybug remote? It could really be anything." Vanellope swallowed her sandwich. "We really need to see this facility so we can assess the situation."

"She's right," Hiro nodded. The others turned to look at him. "We need to find this place before we start jumping to conclusions."

"Like…yeah." Honey twiddled her thumbs. "Exactly."

"So…it sounds like there's more." Cass gave him a sideways look.

"I think tomorrow, we should scout for this facility, spy it out, regroup, and then rethink this." Hiro looked up. "It's already too dark."

"You all have been traveling for a long period of time. It is best to 'take a break' and relax. Your muscles are probably aching and sore from so much exertion."

"The marshmallow speaks truth." Di rubbed her back.

"So the best thing we can do is to sit down, lay back, and rest up," Fred said enthusiastically. "Or play a game, you know?"

"I have loads of card games in the suburban." Jordan jerked a thumb behind him. "Who's up for a round of Hearts?"

"I'll play." Diana scooted over.

"Me too." Ralph nodded.

"Sure." Fred raised a hand.

"I'm going to clean up." Cass stood up.

"I'll help you." Vanellope stood up as well.

"Allow me to assist." Baymax got up from underneath Hiro, leaving him on the ground.

"I'll play, too, then." Hiro scooted over the circle of players. "Even though I stink at this game."

"Ooh! Lots of players! _Nice_. Lucky me, since I have two of these decks." Jordan pulled out two boxes, each containing a deck.

As Jordan dealt out the cards, Hiro looked behind him to see Tadashi and Honey Lemon talking softly among themselves. Honey threw her head back and laughed while Tadashi watched on, smiling. The glow cast by the fire seemed to aid in a romantic air. Then, Honey finished bending over her work and held it up. A chain of flowers, linked into a twisting crown. The flowers she had picked recently decorated it. Tadashi's face lit up when he saw it and told her how well she had made it. With a smile, she looked over at him and gently placed the crown on top of Tadashi's raven hair. Sitting crisscrossed, he grabbed his ankles, stiffened, and turned a brilliant shade of crimson, a giddy grin on his lips. Honey laughed again. Through the fire, Tadashi caught Hiro's eye.

His brother batted his eye lashes in a dreamy manner, puckered up his lips and made a silent smack.

Tadashi made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

Honey was oblivious to it all.

( 0—0 )

Slogging through the green brush, Hiro, Vanellope, and Baymax made their way through the island, searching for anything that looked remotely like a government facility. Half an hour, and they still hadn't been successful.

"Are you seriously sure there are no structures ahead?" Hiro asked.

Baymax tilted his head. "Scanning." A tinny beep filled the air. "Hiro, unlike previous times you have asked, I have detected a structure, roughly 38 feet ahead."

"That's new," Vanellope panted.

"Let's see what we've got." Hiro nodded. "You lead the way, bud."

The robot toddled slowly through the foliage, though the tree's shadows was welcome protection from the hot sun. Then, Baymax's foot snagged on a shrub. "Oh no," he said before he fell over, his legs still waving in the air behind him.

Vanellope let out a wheezy chortle at the sight, and Hiro couldn't help but giggle as well. "Baymax!" he laughed. "B-Baymax! Just—just hold on!" he chuckled, coming around the robot. "I'm gonna…gonna get you up in a minute."

"I appear to have fallen," Baymax said as Hiro pushed the robot upright. "Thank you, Hiro." He patted Hiro's head.

"No prob." Hiro's face was still split in a grin.

"That was amazing. I wish I had a camera," Vanellope giggled as she wiped a tear from her eye with a sigh.

Baymax tilted his head at her. "You appear to be amused at my state of helplessness." He held up a finger. "It has improved your emotional state by 38%." His eyes squinted up and he made a laughing sound. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha."

Vanellope doubled over in laughter again.

When Hiro had more or less calmed down the giddy Vanellope and the confused Baymax, they continued on their way, Hiro clearing the path for Baymax to avoid another giggling fit. Soon, Baymax pointed a finger. "The structure is just ahead."

Vanellope and Hiro raced ahead, and in the robot's struggle to keep up with, fell over again. "Oh no."

Oblivious, Hiro and Vanellope broke through a barrier, standing at the top of a bowl in the ground. The earth dipped inward, where a large, metal, and menacing building sat. Chain-link fences surrounded the whole thing, and what surrounded that was even worse.

Rank upon rank upon rank of Cybugs, crawling in their endless circle around the facility. Blocked, guarded, protected.

Vanellope bit back a scream. Something told her these people were not nice.


	25. Chapter XXIV: Unexpected Welcom

"You saw _WHAT_?!" Jordan wrinkled his nose, aghast.

"We're not joking! We saw, like, tons of Cybugs circling this…this…" Vanellope waved her hands, looking a for word, "…t-thing. Building. Facility."

"She's not joking when she means tons. Literally, _tons_." Hiro held out his hands, trying to emphasize. "Look. I know it may sound crazy, but Baymax was there, too! Tell them!" He held out a hand to the robot.

"Yes, Jordan, he is telling the truth. There were many 'Cybugs' circling a large building," Baymax confirmed.

"That…sounds bad," Fred gulped.

"I'll admit, I never expected that," Diana admitted, nodding. "Have to give this guy credit, though. Protecting himself with his own creation?" She nodded again, slower. " _Sssssmart_."

"Okay, so now that we know what we're up against, let's try this again." Tadashi sat down. "How are we getting in?"

"Alive." Vanellope grumbled. "With all our limbs attached."

"Yes. Alive. But how are we going to get in?" Tadashi blinked. "Alive?" he added quickly.

Honey waved her hands. "Well, let's take this one obstacle at a time. So let's start from the outside and work our way in. Unfortunately, we don't know what type of security there is inside, but, heh, heh, oh well!" she laughed nervously. "But the Cybugs are the first thing."

"She's right." Jordan pursed his lips. "Only, I don't think—even with all ten of us—could take down—" he cleared his throat, "— _tons_ of Cybugs. Also, I'm not willing to try."

The circle went silent.

"How have we stopped Cybugs before?" Tadashi asked.

"Uh…by shooting and fighting them," Fred said with a _duh_ look.

"Yeah. No thanks to you," Jordan sighed.

"Well, maybe if GoGo had actually given me a gun, I would've helped you guys," Fred reproached.

"I can see why she didn't," Jordan turned away with a scoff.

"Hey, knock it off!" Di hit him over the head. " _Jerk._ "

With a groan, Tadashi wiped a hand down his face. "Okay. Can we look for a new angle?" he asked. Once again, the group went silent, except for the sound of Aunt Cass getting lunch ready. Tadashi huffed. "We can use all the input we can get, guys."

Hiro stroked his chin. "If they're intelligent robots…then they're controlled by some sort of…computer, right?"

"You're getting at…?" Honey started.

"I'm thinking." Hiro wagged a finger. "If we wanted to get past these things, we have to disable them, right? Well, how do you disable a Cybug without alerting it to your presence?" Hiro dragged his finger in the dirt, drawing a rectangle surround by four circles. "So here's the facility, and we're trying to get here." He tapped a finger on the rectangle. "And then there are all these Cybugs around here." He gestured to the circles. "It's kind of like one of those games where you have to jump from one ring or row to the next to get to your destination, but you have to jump from things that are moving and not to fall. And it's almost exactly the same, too. There are five rows of Cybug surrounding that thing, and—"

"You only drew four," Fred observed.

With a sigh, Hiro drew another ring with his finger. "Okay. _Five_ rings. But we're not going to be hopping from one Cybug to the next."

"I should hope not," said Di.

"Instead, what if they were all disabled at the same time?"

"Hiro, hold up. You're skipping. How are we going to get these things to stop?" Tadashi asked.

A grin crept onto Hiro's face. "If I can get a computer, I can create a virus and transmit it to the Cybugs, temporarily shutting them down. In theory, at least." He shrugged. "It depends on how I create this virus. It's gonna be tricky, though. I have a feeling that Cybugs aren't like your ordinary computer."

Tadashi tapped his chin. "What if we used the same radar tech in Baymax and use it to scan for all the Cybugs. That way, you'll have a way to know what you're dealing with."

"And afterwards, modify it to boost a signal, which will carry an encrypted virus and transmit it into the Cybugs!" Hiro finished for his brother. "That's what I was thinking!"

"So, let's keep in mind that this is all theory." Tadashi held out his hands. "But if we get the Cybugs to stop and we can get to the facility, what do we do next?"

"After we get past the Cybugs, there's a chain-link fence surrounding the thing, but there's also a gate. But I think you have to get past some sort of security gate to enter," Vanellope added. "The fences are high, a little taller than Ralph, probably, and there's barbed wire on the top." She waved her finger in curlicues. "Couldn't he just lift us over? Or something?" she shrugged.

"Rough landing," Diana murmured.

"I'm willing to give it a go if you guys are. You know. To try to avoid being… _pernicious_ ," Ralph said slowly.

"But no top-secret government facility would be complete without security cameras. Bypass those how?" Di asked.

With a scoff, Hiro waved a dismissive hand. "Pfssh. C'mon. Those little suckers are going _down_. Hacker King, right?"

"So we've conquered the Cybugs," Fred counted off his fingers. "The fence, the cameras, so this is going great!" he exclaimed excitedly. "But…once we're inside the fence, how do we get in?"

"The secret lies in hacking, Fred." Snapping his fingers, Hiro grinned. "With it, I can get past cameras, security lockouts, almost anything. So don't worry about it. Get me a computer, and I'll get you guys through."

"Now how are we gonna deal with whoever is home?" Fred wagged his eyebrows. "Bust in there with cannons and tell them we've come for whatever we've come for? Maybe we could get Honey and Vanellope to wave these flags behind us. I'll lead us in and then declare to the mad scientist that they can reign over the world with Cybugs no longer!" he waved a fist in the air.

"Ooooooooorrrr…" everyone turned to Honey Lemon. She glanced around at them and tried a smile. "We…could take a nicer approach. Why don't we just ask them?"

( 0—0 )

"This is so not going to work," Jordan gritted his teeth under his breath.

"Will you just shut up already?" Hiro turned around to glare at him. "You don't think this is going to work. Okay, _fine_. You can at least let me fail in peace."

"But _asking them_? Come on, guys. It's nuts. No antagonist ever listens when people _ask._ " Jordan crossed his arms. "I'm with Fred. We should just bust in."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Tadashi piped.

Jordan commented with a snort. "What chickens?"

" _Jordan._ " Ralph shot a stern look in his way. "Di's right when she says you don't know when to shut up."

"Alright. I get it. Not wanted. Fine. But don't blame me if you guys go down with your butts sizzling."

"Will you all just _please_ shut up! _Just_ —!" Hiro took in a quick breath and shut his eyes, trying to calm down his frayed nerves. "Thank for your input, _Jordan_ , now if you would all be quiet and let a guy work in much appreciated silence." He said, obviously trying to keep his tone down.

Jordan rolled his eyes and walked away.

"Well. Someone's upset," Ralph observed.

"We should just let him cool off. Let out a little steam." Sighing, Tadashi sat down next to his brother, who was crisscrossed before his laptop. Tadashi blew inside his shirt and fanned himself with a piece of cardboard ripped off a box of veggie bacon. "We're all probably frazzled by this whole thing."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Hiro mumbled over his shoulder. The computer beeped. "Ah. It's done." Hiro bent over the keyboard, his fingers flying.

"What? The virus?" Tadashi asked.

"What do you mean, ' _what_ '? This virus has been in the works since yesterday evening!" Hiro protested. "Okay. Tadashi, I need those scans." As Tadashi handed over a USB drive, Hiro commanded more data into the virus before plugging in the drive. He opened up the scans. "Mm. These guys have some real tech," he murmured. "Nice computers. See that? Means it's protected. Which also means I'll have to do more hacking."

"Yaaay." Tadashi raised an unenthusiastic fist.

Thirty minutes passed, and the virus was transmitted. "Tadashi, go alert the others we're starting. Ralph, any change?" Hiro asked.

As Tadashi got up and left, Ralph peeked through the brush. "No…no. No, they're…just—no. Wait." He leaned a little closer before pulling back. "They all just hunkered down and froze!" he reported. "It was amazing! They all just…" he struggled for a word as he waved his hand.

"It's not over yet." Hiro pursed his lips and attempted to hack the cameras.

Tadashi came back with the others and a toddling Baymax. "Are you ready?" He crouched next to him.

"Stage one. Complete," Hiro announced. "Stage two…" he typed on his laptop. A tinny beeping filled the air. "Complete. I'll give you guys cover from out here. You only have five minutes. _Go, go, go_." He waved them on quickly.

Diana, Tadashi, and Ralph burst out of the tree line and slid down the slope to the still Cybugs. Di slid to her feet and weaved through the Cybugs legs like an oil-slick salamander. It was jaw dropping just to watch her go. Tadashi stood for a minute, trying to decided how to take this on. He settled on squeezing through the bugs. Ralph just picked them up and placed them where they had been when he'd passed. Jordan watched them, waiting for the moment the cameras came back on line and his friends were caught. Much to his surprise, the three made their way through the Cybug rings. Hiro's heart was lodged in his throat as Ralph cupped his hands, lifting Tadashi over the chain-link fence. Careful not to touch the barbed wire, he landed and helped Diana over. Glancing around, Ralph wrenched away the wire and hauled himself over the fence. He landed with a thud and a cloud of dust, but he was unhurt for the most part and across.

Hiro, who had made a finger gun and held it up to his face, let out a breath of relief as his heart dropped back to its respectful place. Stage three, complete. He turned back to his computer. With the scanning radar, he could see the three move along inside the facility fence. So far, so good. He could keep track of them and conceal them from out here, but it was really up to them now.

To keep his worried heart and mind off the threesome, he decided to update the rest who crowded around him, anxious. He gulped. "They're nearing the entrance," he announced.

"I hope they'll be okay," Honey murmured, watching with wide eyes.

"They will," Jordan told her, gripping her by the shoulder. She looked up at him and they both knew that he could promise them nothing. Hiro also looked over his shoulder at Jordan, feeling a sarcastic remark build on his tongue, but he decided to keep quiet.

A beeping brought their attention back to the computer screen. Hiro quickly leaned over and typed a string of babble into a terminal window. A green loading bar completed with a small ping. Then, the three dots disappeared from the screen.

"Whoa. What does that mean?" Fred asked quickly.

Hiro sighed. "They're into the facility. I can't track them anymore."

"And why not?" Cass demanded.

He looked up at her with a sad grin at the fact that she didn't quite understand the world and language of electronics. "The facility has a dampening field around it. Thanks to this guy's handiwork, I have no idea what they're in for inside and unless they shut the field down, I have no way to cover for them from out here," he explained.

Cass's eyes widened. "Then _why_ in the _world_ did you send them in there?!" she exclaimed. "Was your brain working?!"

"Ms. Cass! Ms. Cass." Honey jumped up quickly and gripped her by the shoulders. "It's alright. Calm down."

"My nephew just sent three people to face a bunch of danger, and traps, and…a-and dangerous people, a-a-a-and who knows what else! They weren't even prepared!" Cass protested. "And Hiro knew this entire time, but he didn't tell me! I would've stopped him!"

"That's why I didn't," Hiro admitted with a pang of guilt. "Aunt Cass, I hate to keep you in the dark, but those three are—"

"As your aunt, I ought to know about these things! You don't just go off and race into a bunch of peril and hullabaloo without me knowing about it!" she turned away and let out a huff, her eyes shining. "And now we won't even be able to know where they are," she sniffed.

Honey took Cass by the shoulders again. "Ms. Cass?" she tried again. "Don't be upset with Hiro. Tadashi and the others knew already."

"They what?"

"They knew that Hiro wouldn't be able to track them when they were inside the dampening field. They were perfectly aware of the risks of doing this. But I wouldn't worry."

"And why not? Your nephew isn't in there," Cass snapped. Her eyes quickly widened when she realized what she'd done. "Oh, I'm sorry, Honey. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry."

Honey only smiled. "I understand if you're nervous or apprehensive. We all are. I know you didn't mean to snap," she said gently. "But your nephew and the others aren't helpless. They have Tadashi's brains, Ralph's strength, and Diana's strategist…ness. They'll be okay if they all work together. I'm positive they'll came back safe and sound."

Cass sniffed again, wiping her eyes. Honey Lemon hugged her. "You're right," Cass admitted. "I shouldn't baby over them so much. They are old enough, aren't they?" she chuckled.

Hiro turned back to the computer with a sigh. " _Please don't do anything stupid_ ," he whispered under his breath.

( 0—0 )

It had almost been an hour. Vanellope watched the facility, awaiting any sign of the team, but nothing had happened. "Ralph ol' buddy'll keep 'em all safe," she piped up cheerfully after a long silence. "They'll be fine."

Jordan only gave her a doubtful look and leaned up against a tree.

Through a pair of binoculars, Fred peered through the brush. "I see something!" he hissed quickly.

Hiro perked and sat upright.

"Oh. Nope. My bad. It's a squirrel. False alarm," Fred corrected himself.

The others sighed in disappointment and resumed their waiting.

"Waaaaaiiit," Fred said again.

"Dude, are you sure it isn't just another squirrel?" Jordan moaned.

Fred shook his head. "I think I actually see something. It's…" he gasped, making Cass jump. He turned back to the others excitedly. " _THE DOORS ARE OPENING_!" he cried.

"Gimme that!" Vanellope grabbed the binoculars and put them to her eyes while Fred tried to not be choked by the drawstring. Her face widened. "He's right!" she hissed excitedly. "He's actually right! The doors just slid open!"

In a second, the others crouched at the tree line or bent over the others to look. Sure enough, the two heavy duty doors slid apart and four people walked out. Vanellope jerked with a gasp. "It's them!" she said.

"I can see Ralph…" Fred held a hand to his eyes once he had untangled himself from the binocular strap.

With a weird look, Vanellope straightened and continued to spy through the binoculars. "There's this other guy with them." She grinned before leaning closer. "He's kinda cute." A loud sputter erupted from her mouth as she shook her head, ponytail whipping those behind her. "Shoot. My bad, that's Tadashi."

Hiro rolled his eyes.

"They're heading here!" she gasped.

The chain-link gate slid open and the four came out, and the Cybugs, though frozen, moved out of the way.

"Whoa, what?!" Hiro ducked back to his computer. " _Nani kore_!? The virus was blocked!" he looked back up as the four approached the others in hiding.

"Hiro!" Tadashi called. "It's okay! Can you come down here, please?"

Still suspicious, Hiro slowly stepped from the trees, looking down at the team. He gave them a sideways glance. "What happened?" he asked slowly.

Tadashi planted his hands on his hips with a smirk. Hiro didn't like that smirk. "Mr. Ishioka doesn't bite," he called up again.

"I never said he did," Hiro said and regarded the man. He looked friendly enough. Silver hair slicked out of his face, black glasses, and businessman clothes. "What happened?" he repeated.

Tadashi sighed. "Come down here, and we can tell you about it."

Hiro made no move. "You're not brainwashed, are you?"

The four of them burst out laughing, and Hiro turned red. "Of course not!" Di crossed her arms. "But Mr. Ishioka has a deal to make. I suggest you listen to it. But you'll have to come down, first."

Hiro looked to Ralph, who also nodded and waved for him to come down. With a sigh, Hiro straightened his jacket and slid down the rocky slope to where the four stood. He was sure the others were watching him like a hawk. At the bottom, he stumbled to his feet and accidentally tripped on a rock, calling the ground and catching himself with his hands.

"Ooh! You okay, buddy?" Ralph asked and offered him a hand.

Hiro swatted the hand away. "I'm fine," He muttered before dusting himself off, trying to ignore the pain in his palms. He crossed his arms. "What's the deal?"

Tadashi came over and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hiro, come on. Relax, and we'll tell you the whole story."

Hiro looked away as if bored. "Make it quick. It's hot."

And so, they told their story. The three had made it into the facility, where they were stopped by the personnel. They brought them to Mr. Ishioka, who had asked why they snuck into his facility. When they demanded he hand over information about the Cybugs, he told them they were free to it, but had made an appealing offer. After a lengthy discussion, they came out to tell the others.

"So you just _asked_ for it?" Hiro cocked an eyebrow. "I'm not convinced."

Diana nodded. "Honey Lemon was right."

"What's the offer?" Hiro repeated.

The three turned to Mr. Ishioka, who gave him a smile. "Apparently, you have a little traveling band, I hear. I assume that you must've had a rough trip. I'm willing to allow all of you free use of our showers, a warm meal, and a good night's rest on a bed. After that, only three of you may stay inside the facility to do whatever research you need on the Cybugs, with access to our computers and file room, and you may still have use of the showers, beds, and food."

Tadashi turned back to Hiro. "What do you think?"

Hiro stared open-mouthed at them all. "W-what?"

"Too much for you to take in?" asked Diana.

Hiro narrowed his eyes and turned to Mr. Ishioka. "Why did the Cybugs move to let you through? I froze them all. That virus should've kept them immobilized," he accused.

Tadashi gave Hiro a hit over the head and muttered to him about disrespect. Expecting Mr. Ishioka to get riled up, Tadashi quickly apologized to him for Hiro's brashness. Mr. Ishioka just laughed. "So! This is the one who created that virus?" He turned to Hiro, who blinked. "I'm impressed with your work. You really know your way around computers. How old are you?" he asked.

Hiro gulped, a flash of pride heating his face. "F-fifteen," he answered.

Ishioka's eyes widened. "My goodness. I had no idea someone at so young an age could accomplish something like this!"

Hiro rubbed his neck, red-faced.

"He is a genius." Tadashi ruffled his hair. "If a little misguided, sometimes."

Hiro swatted Tadashi's hands away and tried to smooth his hair. "Why are you being so nice to us?" he asked. "You can't blame me for being a little suspicious, Mr. Ishioka."

He sighed. "I suppose I can't," he agreed. "Is this about the Cybug matter?"

Hiro nodded.

"You all must hate me for creating them, don't you?"

The others went silent and said nothing.

"I suspected as much," Ishioka pursed his lips with a grim sigh. "I've brought your home down to ruins and terrorized you. It wasn't all my fault, though," he explained. "Someone sabotaged my experiment and let them loose. But now that the saboteur is dead, I assume all blame." An apologetic tone laced his voice. "I'm sorry if this has caused you grief. But if you would like the full details on the story, which I won't go on about here, I would be obliged to share them with you later," he offered. "That is, if you trust me enough to stay."

Hiro looked over to the three, who nodded. With a grudging grumble, Hiro grabbed Tadashi's hand. "Could I talk it over with Tadashi, first?" he asked.

Ishioka nodded and Hiro lugged Tadashi away. "Unbelievable," he muttered. "You just went ahead struck this deal with a guy you haven't even met for an hour."

"You know what your problem is?" Tadashi rebutted. "You're too stubborn. Always so skeptical, distrusting, and even rude."

"You know what _your_ problem is? _You're_ too gullible! To open and willing to do everything. You lower your guard all the time!" Hiro said as a matter of fact. "We don't even know this guy and you already let us fall into his hand, which is offering us promises that he has yet to keep. And we don't even know enough about his character to know if he even _will_ keep those promises."

"It's called _trust_ , Hiro," said Tadashi sternly, crossing his arms.

"And there's another thing called _too much trust_. And that is usually the kind of stuff that leads us into shady deals in the first place."

"You trusted _Yama_."

"That was different." Hiro held up a finger quickly. "He was a fellow bot-fighter. Being a bot-fighter myself, I know how they act and I already knew he wasn't going to hold up his end of the bargain. So…I was ready."

"Ready? To what? Let he and his Fujitas beat you up? I'm not buying it."

Hiro huffed and crossed his arms, tapping his foot. He cast a glance back up the slope, where he knew the others were watching them. He inhaled and let it out slowly. "What makes you so certain that this guy is trustworthy?"

Tadashi straightened. "I have a good judge of character." He looked smug. "It hasn't failed me yet. Remember GoGo? I was wary and you didn't believe me."

Hiro held out a fist. "Let's settle this the real way."

Tadashi held out his own fist, and they both shook them on sync. "Rock, paper, scissors, SHOE!" they yelled quickly.

Hiro had rock.

Tadashi had paper.

He slapped his hand on top of Hiro's fist. "I win."

Looking down at his boots, Hiro sighed, defeated. The dry wind howled past them, blowing small gusts of sand against their legs. Hiro's raven hair blew out of his face. "If something happens…" he said, "…I will not be held accountable." He looked up at Tadashi. "The welfare of our group will be in your hands, bro."

With a nod, he gripped Hiro by the shoulder. "Trust me on this one."

Hiro gave him a distrusting sideways glance as he walked back to the waiting Ishioka. Hiro stuck out his hand. "We accept your offer."

Grinning, Ishioka grasped Hiro's hand and they shook. "Then welcome to New-Japan PGF, 2406. Enjoy your stay."

( 0—0 )

"I just so need this." With a grin, Jordan stepped inside the men's shower room with a white towel wrapped around his waist. His hand clutched a comb and a change of clothes. His feet were bare

The shower room was white, from the tiled floor to the painted walls to the lights on the ceiling. To the left, a row of shower stalls was lined. On the right, a counter complete with a sinks and mirrors was placed so the sinks lined up with the across stall. Two curtained stalls at the very back of the room were occupied with the undressing Ralph and Fred.

"I can't even remember when's the last time I showered," Tadashi remarked, also sporting a white towel waist down.

" _That's gross_ ," Hiro said flatly.

"I know," Tadashi sighed.

The disgruntled Hiro wrestled furiously with the tight ponytail at the back of his head. "Dagnabit. It's just a Gordian's Knot, now," he muttered.

"Get me some scissors and I'm sure we could work something out," Jordan said seriously, before breaking out into another grin.

"Let's just make the most of this," said Ralph, waltzing out of the changing stall with an abnormally large towel. "I have this gut feeling this will be the last time we'll be showering for a while."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Tadashi agreed. "Fred! Where are you? It doesn't take that long to undress!" he called, his voice echoing.

The long, draping curtain shifted. "Uhm…" a nervous voice peeped, "I…I'm fine guys, really. I showered last month…s."

"No. Just no. You're washing," Tadashi said sternly.

Finally, the wine-colored curtain was pulled aside to reveal a Fred as pale as the towel wrapped around his waist. " _I'm fine_ ," he whispered hoarsely.

"You can't go for months without showering!" Jordan exclaimed.

"I did."

"Look," Tadashi started, coming and slinging an arm around Fred's shoulders. "Just think about it. As soon as you step into that stall, you'll never want to come out. With the hot water running down your back, it'll be refreshing, and cleansing, relaxing, and overall, awesome. You can't say no to that," he finished, holding out his hand, picturing it for Fred to see.

The guy wasn't convinced. "Maybe…I'll shower tomorrow. Yeah! I will shower! Tomorrow!" he said confidently.

"No." Tadashi placed his hand at the small of Fred's back and pushed him into a stall. "Wash," he said, closing the door before he could protest.

The boys selected their stalls. Ralph was so tall he could peer into the other stalls. For the sake of honoring their privacy, he turned around the best he could, cooped up already. "Let the great cleansing begin!" Jordan announced as running water suddenly echoed through the room. He whooped in glee.

Hanging his towel over the door, Hiro turned the water on hot. The shower head dowsed him, drenching his hair and plastering it to his head. He looked down, watching the water run down his chest to the drain, tinted a faint, grayish brown. With a sigh, he turned and let the water run down his back. What used to be everyday hygiene was now a luxury. He looked up, where a light glared down at him. Come to think of it, this shower room was rather nice. Either this Ishioka could afford this, or wandering the wilderness for a while had done something to his brain. Why would Ishioka just welcome them to his facility? And if was going to, why didn't he just shut down the Cybugs and let them in.

He squeezed a dollop of shampoo into his palm from one of the bottles on a rack. He massaged it into his hair and scalp, already feeling a foamy lather build in between his fingers.

So Ishioka regretted making the Cybugs. Did that mean he was committing all of this research to shutting them down? If so, why would he want them poking around? If anything, they would just get in his way. Unless he had found nothing for a year and was desperate for help. Any help. Even the help of a rugged band of gang deserters? Maybe he was _too_ desperate. Then again, after seeing the damage his creation had inflicted, he'd probably grow desperate, too.

After his hair had been shampooed, he squeezed soap onto a washcloth he had been given and worked that into a lather before rubbing it down his body. Hiro held his breath and swabbed his face with suds before running his puffed-up cheeks and hair under the water. Pulling his face back from the stream, he slicked his hair back out of his eyes with a wet slap. The air suddenly seemed crisp as it passed over his face. A fresh scent hung over them, like that of soap and chemicals, but so welcoming and refreshing that it was the cleanest thing they had smelled for so long. Hiro took in a deep breath, feeling his lungs stretch and fill with air and his nose take in the scent before letting it all out. His head felt clearer, and his body rejuvenated. He picked a scab on his knuckles and trimmed a few cuticles. Then he realized how long his finger nails were. He paused, looking at them. And how long was his hair? He measured how far it came down his neck. Longer than it should. The water beneath his feet suddenly turned black in his mind. How had he looked to Ishioka? Dirty? Ragged? Primitive, even? A flush of embarrassment settled on him. Why would Ishioka offer food and beds to a bunch of scruffy strangers? Did he want something from them? Was he hiding something? Trying to allay suspicion? There was something about him that he didn't like. Maybe it was the smile. Or was Ishioka just a kind man? It was just…for the creator of the Cybugs, he expected someone more…malicious. Maybe it was just him. Still, he'd be watching him.

Suddenly, the steam was gone and the water turned frigid. A loud yelp erupted from a stall and the water was turned off. "Holy jeez!" Jordan exclaimed.

The same happened to the rest of the stalls. Hiro quickly turned the water off, dried himself, wrapped the towel around waist, and stepped out. Jordan was already at the counter, combing his black hair in a cowlick. He did a few finger guns at his reflection in the mirror and clicked his teeth.

Hiro gripped the edges of the sink and looked at himself in the mirror. His skin was the same mixed-tone complexion he remembered, aside from his sun tan. Messy, unkempt hair caught the light with a golden sheen. Dull, tired eyes were now lively and brown. He blinked at his reflection, almost startled. He…looked the same, but…different. He turned his head a little and glanced at himself in the mirror, trying to confirm the mirror wasn't warped.

"I know," Jordan grinned at him. "It feels good."

"Yeah," Hiro laughed. He allowed a few rundowns with a comb, at least enough to look decently presentable to Ishioka without compromising his personal taste. Then he took the navy hairband and pulled the ends of his hair back. He glanced up to see Tadashi at the mirror next to him. His bare back glistened in the light and Hiro looked away with a gag.

His brother glanced over at him before holding up his arms and showing off his muscles.

" _Ha_!" Hiro slapped Tadashi's butt with a hand towel before Tadashi chased him away. As Tadashi combed his hair, Ralph and Fred emerged from their stalls and found spots at the counter. Jordan had already gone into one of the changing rooms. Hiro took the other, tugging on a pair of skinny jeans he had brought with him. After, he pulled on a black T-shirt and laced up the only shoes he'd brought, his worn and dusty boots.

He opened the curtain and stepped out, watching himself in the mirrors as he walked out of the men's room. When he did, he saw that all of the girls had been out a long while ago. Di looked up from a bench she was seated on and waved. Next to her was Vanellope, Jordan, and Cass. "Hiro! You'll never guess! Mr. Ishioka asked us what we want to eat tonight, and he's going to make it all for us!"

Hiro's eyes widened and his mouth watered at the mention of 'whatever you want' for dinner. "Really?" he asked doubtfully, still wary of Ishioka's offers.

"Yeah! Here. He gave me this notepad, and asked us all to write down one dish we'd like to have. Tonight, he'll have a buffet line and we can get what we want," she explained, handing him a pen and pad of paper.

Hiro looked down at what was already listed.

 **Strawberry and spinach salad**

 **Bulgogi**

 **Corn on the cob**

 **Any sandwich with mustard and pickles**

 **Onigiri**

 ****He looked skyward, thinking about what he really wanted to eat most. More than anything else. His favorite. Ever. His…favorite…what did he want to eat? Anything he wanted? That was pretty broad. He looked down at the list and pursed his lips. Then, he scribbled down on the list. With a satisfied nod, he handed the pad back.

Di took it and curiously check to see the new request. "Dango and/or mochi?" she smirked. "That's not even a meal! That's dessert!"

Hiro shrugged and thrust his hands in his jean pockets. "Hey, it's what I want to eat. Besides. With everybody else putting down what they want to eat, I'll have plenty to choose from." He looked around. "Where's Honey?"

"Ah, she's in a room down the hall." Vanellope jerked a thumb down the hall. "One near the very back."

"Thanks." Hiro started down the hall, passing the doors until he found the second to last door left ajar. Stepping closer, he peered in.

Honey bent over a table with a pipette, squeezing drops of liquid into a test tube. She turned and gasped, startled to see Hiro. "Oh! Hiro! Hi! Uh…" she turned back to her stuff and stood in front of it. "Need something?" she asked cheerfully.

Too cheerfully. Hiro raised an eyebrow as he stepped inside. "What are you doing?" he asked, trying to look around Honey's back. He grabbed a bottle on the table. "Was this what you took from Tech & Ware?" he asked skeptically.

Blinking her green eyes, Honey let out a slow breath. "…Yes…?" she squeaked.

Hiro looked at the test tubes and other chemicals. "What are you making?"

Honey moved out of his way and clasped her hands behind her back guiltily. "Well…I know we're going to shut down the Cybugs and all, but…" she pulled some hair out of her face. "I was just making some more chemical metal embrittlement. Just in case."

Hiro raised an eyebrow.

"Is it wrong to take precautions?" Honey asked. "Just…don't tell Tadashi. Okay? He…never liked the idea of…you know."

With one last glance, Hiro set the bottle down on the table. "Okay," he said finally. "I won't tell, as long as you answer one question."

"Okay."

Hiro sucked in a large breath, let it out, and clasped his hands together, looking up at Honey. "Do you like my brother?"

The shade of Honey's cheeks went from pink to scarlet. "OH! Uh, well…yeah! Of course I like your brother! He's…a nice guy! And I like you, too! Uh, um, and…yeah! What's that? Oop! I think I hear, uh, Aunt Cass calling you!" She waved him out the door and closed it after him.

Hiro chuckled to himself and whistled as he strode down the hall.

( 0—0 )

If Ishioka was as nice as his hospitality, then maybe the guy wasn't so bad. Hiro staggered into their assigned bunk room, stomach fully appeased and stuffed so full he felt like his dinner threatened to spill out of his nostrils. He was roughly jerked out of the way as Jordan shot passed them and in a single, graceful motion, vaulted into one of two top bunks. A large bed for Ralph sat in the corner "Dibs," he called and settled himself, hands behind his head as Fred crawled into the bunk underneath Jordan's.

Hiro moaned and fell onto the bottom of the second bunk with a small _guh_. "I'm too tired to care," he mumbled into the blankets.

Tadashi quickly pinched Hiro's butt. "Hey. Get up."

With an embarrassed yelp, Hiro jerked up and slapped Tadashi across the wrist. "Dude!" he cried.

"You're in the top bunk."

His brother turned away with a small grunt. "Move me yourself."

Without another word, Tadashi scooped up Hiro and tossed him into the top bunk with a loud squeak. Hiro again groaned as his body limply flopped into bed. His leg still hung over the side.

A loud belch erupted from Jordan's throat. The other four looked up at him. He returned their stares with one of his own. "What? I ate! I stuffed! At least it came out of the attic and not the basement, okay?" He shook his head with a sigh before tugging off his boots and letting them drop to the floor with a thud. Below him, Fred jumped.

Hiro blinked, listening to the guys chat about food and other things. He paid attention to none of it. Instead, his vision went blurry and his eyelids drooped. Soon, the other voices became a muffled sound in his ears as the lights faded. In his dreams, endless rows of Cybugs bowed before an Ishioka decked with a crown made of gears and spare parts, sitting on a throne of the same material. At his right hand was a short figure, black hair poking out from beneath a smaller crown, also made of gears. A white cloth stained with blood was hung behind them.

The right hand figure was himself.

 **I'm so sorry for the inactivity, guys! There's just stuff going on, and I haven't gotten around to uploading. Well, haha, I fixed that. I hope you guys are enjoying it so far! Hopefully? We're actually nearing the end, so get ready for something epic (hopefully...)!**


	26. Chapter XXV: Getting Settled

"Me, Ralph, and Vanellope will stay and send whatever we find to you guys. Okay?" Tadashi said, running over the plans with the team.

Hiro grumbled, but didn't protest. "Fine."

Ishioka, who stood to the side, let out a breath into a fist. Clearly, he had some objections unvoiced.

The others, oblivious to the twosome's oppositions nodded in full agreement. "I can process the information with Hiro from out here, and we can send stuff back and forth to find what we need," Di added. "That way, we might be able to get through this quicker."

Tadashi nodded. "Sounds good."

Ishioka cleared his throat.

They turned to him questioningly. "Problem?" Ralph asked hesitantly.

Still holding a fist to his mouth, Ishioka looked at them before taking a deep breath. "Well…" he paused. "I…don't want to seem rude or prodding, trying to change your plans, but…" He looked over at Hiro. "I…was rather hoping that Hiro could join the group," he said slowly. "I would like a chance to, maybe, learn a little bit about him, I mean, him being such a genius at such an age. It intrigues me, I admit—" He suddenly doubled over in a fit of coughing.

Everybody froze.

Ishioka quickly pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and pulled over his nose and took a deep breath. Hiro could've sworn he saw red dots on the cloth. Ishioka took a breath and tucked the handkerchief away. "I'm sorry. But, I would like to get to know Hiro."

Tadashi turned red and looked over at Hiro, who rubbed his neck. "I did actually want to come along," he confessed.

Tadashi opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"We could do that, too." Di shrugged. "Tadashi could process info and Hiro do the researching. That okay with you guys?"

Still flabbergasted, Tadashi looked back and forth between Hiro and Ishioka. "You—" he stopped himself. He sighed and looked down at his hand. "Ishioka, no offense, but I really don't feel comfortable…with Hiro being alone inside your facility without…supervision."

"Dude, Ralph and Vanellope are gonna be there, not to mention a bunch of personnel and Ishioka. I'll be fine!"

"We have security cameras, so we can watch at all times. If something alarming happens, I can notify you right away," Ishioka offered.

Tadashi pursed his lips, still grudging. "I…I'm not sure."

"Tadashi, come on. I'll be fine, okay? If you get lonely, you can talk to me over Ishioka's vid-chat-thing." Hiro held out his hands playfully.

Tadashi shook his head. "Please, I would really rather just—"

"Tadashi." He turned to see Cass giving him a look. "I'm okay with it. He can go if he wants to."

Now he was outnumbered. Tadashi trusted this man, but he didn't trust this man with his brother. Still, he turned back to Hiro, who watched him, waiting for the verdict. He was being a little overprotective. Maybe he should let Hiro try out flying on his own. His face radiated heat and he clenched his hands tightly. He gulped. "Al…alright," he gave in. "Okay. Ralph, Hiro, and Vanellope will go. I'll stay with Diana."

"Sounds good," Hiro nodded.

"On—!" Tadashi stopped him. "One condition. You take Baymax with you."

The first thing Hiro wanted to do was protest and complain that the robot would get in the way of the work, but then he realized Baymax could process information faster than the rest of them. It also might be handy to have a robot on his side with him where he was surrounded by unfamiliar tech. "Sure."

"Okay," Tadashi nodded, finally satisfied.

"You don't have to bring anything with you," Ishioka said. "We can supply you with computers and complete access to our database. If there's something you need that we don't have, the others can send it along."

"That's really generous, Mr. Ishioka," Di said. "Thank you again for everything you've done and for helping us."

"It was my pleasure." Ishioka smiled warmly.

"Well, shall we go?" Vanellope shrugged, holding out arms to the chain-link fence. "There's no time like the present."

Hiro stood up quickly with Baymax by his side. "Hope you don't mind an awkward marshmallow roaming around your facility." He rubbed his neck.

"Not at all," Mr. Ishioka laughed. "I should rather like having him around."

"Hey, you." Hiro turned as Tadashi nudged his head lightheartedly. "Don't do anything stupid, yeah?"

Hiro grinned and shrugged Tadashi's arms off. "You know me."

Tadashi ruffled his hair. "Call me every night, 'kay?"

Hiro nodded.

"Well then, off you go." Tadashi slapped him on the back, sending him off.

After Ralph, Vanellope, Hiro, and Baymax had passed through the chain-link fence, Ishioka placed a hand on Tadashi's shoulder. "I'll take good care of him," he reassured.

Tadashi nodded. "I trust you will."

( 0—0 )

The day had been a very exciting one, at least to him. To Ralph, maybe…not so much. Hiro changed into gray shorts and a white T-shirt, flopping onto his bed. This time, they all shared a room with three beds. Ralph's was extra-large, but he only just barely squished in. Vanellope seemed to be lost in a vast sea of blankets, snuggling with her pillow, her hair out and clips removed. Hiro grabbed the screen pad he had brought with him, turning it on. It was only a metal bar with buttons when off, but as it powered on, a semi-transparent touch-screen projected from the bar, where there were several word documents. All of them contained the notes he and the others had taken. He scrolled through them, reviewing.

- _Cybugs controlled by central computer located in middle of body. Very advanced, but can't control basic problem-solving skills._

 _-Vulnerable to: virus/damaged system/damaged computer/eating something harmful_

 _-Can recognize/acquire from past experiences. Essentially, learns._

 _-Originally created to dispose of harmful waste, backfired due to unsuspected virus._

He sighed. There was more, but his eyes already felt burned out. With a groan, he kneaded his fists into his sockets, trying to massage moisture back into them. He closed the window and pulled open the vid-chat. It showed a scan of multiple computers in the area. The computer room, where they had just been, was completely red with dots. There was a lone red dot outside the facility. He tapped it. An icon of an envelope popped up, pulsing and send little cartoon vibrations as it rang. Then it disappeared and a window popped up.

"Hi," Hiro sighed.

"Hey." Tadashi smiled back. "How'd the first day go?"

Hiro shrugged. "We found some stuff. We'll send it over to you tomorrow. Turns out, they were originally created to dispose of harmful waste."

Tadashi nodded. "So…how is their tech over there?"

"Dude, it's amazing," Hiro gushed. "I'm talking to you on this thing they call a screen-pad, and it's like this bar with buttons that ejects this laser screen. It's awesome. Their computers are really up-to-date and it has one of the most sophisticated operating systems I've ever seen. It's even better that Windows or Mac. It's like they've created their own thing. I mean, it's just _so cool_ , and I haven't even told you about the transferal thing. It shoves email and texting into the dust. I mean, I don't even know how to explain it!"

Tadashi laughed. "Wow! Sounds pretty neat! Having fun with it?"

"Oh yeah. But their operating system takes a little getting used to. I'm still trying to figure my way around."

"Nice! The others doing okay?"

"Ralph's still trying to figure everything out, but Vanellope's determined. I'm actually glad that you sent Baymax with me. He can download data from their database, like, super-fast, so it shaves off a lot of time."

Tadashi nodded. "So what did you eat for dinner?"

"I had this thing, it's like an omelet, almost, but not. It's a beaten egg with all these spices and scallions in it, and it's wrapped up like a burrito with this rice and bean and cheese stuff. It's actually really good."

"We had spicy chicken wings over on this end."

"What?! NO!" Hiro slumped and groaned. "Why did you _do_ that? You _know_ it's my favorite! You could've at least not told me!"

Tadashi shrugged. "Sorry. Wasn't thinking."

Hiro yawned. "Hey listen. I gotta hit the haystack for tomorrow."

"Oh. Right! Yeah." Tadashi nodded quickly. "Okay! Well, we'll get ready for that info tomorrow. And, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"Love you."

Hiro paused. "Me, too."

"Hiro, come on!" Tadashi exclaimed.

The screen was suddenly jostled until Fred's face was all Hiro could see. "Hey, little dude!" he exclaimed and waved. "We, like, super really missed you! We had this awesome game with Jordan and everything, only Tadashi was no fun cuz he was just talking to Honey."

Hiro nodded knowingly, his eyes narrowed. "Oh," he said slowly

"Yeah. Boring. And we actually started to play that game where someone says a part of a story and then another person adds something to it but memorize the whole thing, and so on, and guess what?"

"What?"

"Mickey mouse married Tinkerbell while Jordan's cousin went to fairytale land to roast sausages and pineapples, while a griffin got turned into chicken soup!"

Hiro laughed. "Sounds like a ton of fun!"

"Yeah. I'm sure that if you were here, you'd add something, like, totally cool. You know, if I could have one super power right now, it'd be to crawl through this camera and give you a big hug."

Hiro smiled. "Thanks."

Another face popped into the screen. "Hey, Hiro!" Di waved. "Hey everybody, it's Hiro!"

Soon, everybody was crowded around the screen, waving, calling him goodnight and telling him they missed him. He even tilted his pad so that Ralph and Vanellope could say hi. After that, the connection was disconnected and Hiro was allowed to sleep a dreamless sleep.

( 0—0 )

"Hey. I sent you something," Vanellope called over her shoulder.

Filled with rows of desks and computers, Hiro and Vanellope sat at the farthest ends of the room, while Baymax skimmed through data with his hand on a monitor. Ralph rummaged through stacks of file cabinets on the side of the room. The floor was tiled and the ceiling was covered with painted-over pipes that snaked their way from one place to the next. Lights shone down on them and on Hiro's computer.

"Thanks. I got it, Hiro called back. The message pinged as it appeared on his screen. He tapped it and opened it.

 _-The Cybugs' acid actually is used to transfer energy to the batter, since the battery is what sends it to the rest of the body. The actual source of power comes from the computer, which has its own power source._

 _-JPEG.4503 [load image]_

 _-JPEG.4504 [load image]_

 _-JPEG.4505 [load image]_

Hiro loaded the images. They were pictures of Cybug anatomy from the side and front, and a logo of a bird in a circle. Furrowing his brow, he peered at it. "Vanellope, what is this?" he asked.

"What is what?"

"This logo thing you sent me."

"Oh that. I'm starting to dig into the background of the Cybugs, and this apparently has something to do with it. Not sure what, but I sent it to you anyway."

Hiro nodded. "Hm. Okay." He stared at the logo for a little bit.

"Hey guys?" Ralph called. "Could you take a look at this?"

Both Hiro and Vanellope left their computers and stood around him. "What is it?" Vanellope asked.

"There's this file over here." Ralph pulled out a file and opened it. "It was filed under 'C' for Callaghan." There was a picture of a man in a white lab coat with graying hair. He stood next to a man with blonde hair in a navy, pinstriped suit. "I thought the guy in the suit looked funny, so I started reading. Turns out, it's about the guy in the coat."

"Could you skip to the point?" Vanellope pleaded.

He sighed and gave her a look. "Well alright." He cleared his throat. "Apparently, this guy here in the lab coat used to work with the guy in the suit. They started creating some project, which—it doesn't actually say, this is just my guess—evolved into the Cybugs."

"So this guy created them?" Hiro asked. "Mr. Ishioka said _he_ did."

"I dunno." Ralph shrugged. "But the Cybugs were created by this guy _supposedly_. I'm not sure."

"Hold up." Hiro ran back to his computer and search for _Callaghan_. There were no search results. "There's nothing in the entire database."

"You sure?" Ralph asked.

"Yeah."

"You sure you have _complete_ access to the database?"

Hiro gave him a sideways glance. "You think Ishioka is lying?"

"I'm not saying anything. It's just I wouldn't drop my guard completely."

Hiro took in a breath and blinked. "You think I don't know that? And they have security cameras and microphones."

Ralph ducked his head. "I'm just saying!"

Baymax toddled over to Hiro. "Your stress levels are rising," he noted. "It is possible that the lack of results for your search was due to the deleting of files."

Hiro looked up at him, his brow knit. " _Et tu_ , Brutus?"

Baymax tilted his head. "My suggestion is only a supposition."

"And Hiro, from what we saw up on the rise, it looked you didn't trust Ishioka at all. You were arguing with Tadashi," Vanellope observed.

Hiro grit his teeth. "And I still don't trust him! I mean, not completely! But…I don't know, okay?" He sighed and looked back at his screen. "Baymax…skim the database for anything related to Ralph's file."

Baymax placed his hand on a nearby monitor.

"Vanellope, do a little more digging about the logo?"

"Sure thing."

"Ralph…" Hiro looked over at him. "Find…whatever you can about this…Callaghan. And everybody?" He put a finger to his lips. "Let's not go shouting out about this just yet."

They all nodded in agreement.

"Vanellope, send the info to the others—"

The speakers clicked on. "Hiro Hamada? Mr. Ishioka would like to see you please. You'll find him down the hall, hang a left, second door to the right."

Hiro blinked. "Ooooh…kay." He slowly and stood. "Can I take Baymax?"

"No. Just you."

( 0—0 )

"You're restless," Honey Lemon observed and sat down next to Tadashi. "Is everything okay?"

Tadashi pursed his lips and nodded. "I'm fine."

Honey giggled. "Is this the first time you've let Hiro go somewhere alone?"

Tadashi looked up at her as if offended. "What the—? No! _No_! Of course not! I let him go alone places!"

"But you still like to keep an eye on him."

"Well…yeah. He's my little brother who does stupid things sometimes. If it weren't for me, he'd be beat up countless times by now," Tadashi rebutted.

Honey smiled and leaned against his shoulder. "Are you scared he's going to get himself hurt in there?"

Tadashi's heart fluttered and his face suddenly grew hot and his body tensed at the fact that Honey was leaning against him. "Y…y-y…well, no. Not really."

"You love him a lot, don't you?"

"Well…yes."

"You don't want to see him get hurt."

"No."

Honey Lemon looked up at him. "If you trust Ishioka, why are you so worried about him in there?"

Tadashi sat silent for a while. He looked over at the others sitting around the campfire. Waiting for dinner. Chatting. Telling jokes. He blinked and searched himself for the answer. "I…I do trust Ishioka."

"But you're still worried."

"…well who wouldn't be?"

"Someone who trusted Ishioka."

Tadashi grumbled. "You're trying to make a point."

Honey straightened and looked up at him. "Mr. Ishioka seemed really friendly on the outside. He gave us food, showers, beds, and he's letting us help him. But…you felt like there was something more, too?" She fixed her glasses.

Tadashi turned red and looked at his clasped hands. "I…" he looked up and met Honey's green eyes, watching him intently for an answer. He let out a breath. "Yeah."

"Tell me you've been finding missing pieces too."

"Missing pieces?"

"Ishioka created the Cybugs, but he doesn't know how to shut them down. For the creator of the Cybugs, he seems to be a little unknowledgeable about them. He needs help, finds it in a bunch of random people that stumble upon his gates. He takes a weird liking to Hiro, and now he's with Ishioka and out of your supervision. Ooh, and have you also noticed? Almost all the personnel were as young as 16-20. You'd think for a government experiment, they'd have men and women old enough to have a sufficient amount of experience, especially with something as dangerous as Cybugs."

Tadashi blinked, processing. "I have noticed, actually."

"You think Hiro will let his guard down?"

"I don't know. But he can probably take care of himself."

"Are you positive?"

Tadashi didn't answer.

"Is it just me, or does it feel like Ishioka is hiding something?"

( 0—0 )

"Are you sure?" Aunt Cass asked.

"I just want to check on him," Tadashi reassured, avoiding Honey's gaze from his right. "Di can hold up without me. Can't you?"

Di clicked her teeth and flashed a thumbs-up. "Say hi to him for all of us, will you?" she asked.

"Will do."

Aunt Cass's brow furrowed and she let out a breath. "Alright…"

"I'll walk with you," Honey Lemon offered, and the two set off from their camp in the direction of Ishioka's facility. "So what are you going to do once you get in there?" she asked once they were out of range.

Tadashi helped her over a tree root. "I'm gonna observe Ishioka's behavior and see if I can find anything about the Cybug project, or anything fishy. I'll keep an eye on Hiro and Ishioka, and in addition, find other information that will help us shut them down."

"Send what you find to me?"

"Okay," Tadashi agreed.

Soon, they came to the clearing where Ishioka's facility was still surrounded by the unmoving Cybugs. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Honey gave Tadashi a squeeze. "Be careful."

"I will." He squeezed back before breaking away and heading down to the chain-link fence. When he made it past the Cybugs and gate, he stood in front of the compound doors. He looked back at Honey Lemon to see her cross her fingers. He nodded and crossed his fingers back at her before a microphone stuck out of a panel in the wall.

" _Hello, Tadashi. Something I can do for you_?" the microphone asked.

Tadashi drew in a breath to address Ishioka. "Yes, actually. I'd just like to check on Hiro? Is that okay?"

" _Of course._ " The microphone slid back into the wall and the compound doors groaned as they opened. He smiled back at Honey Lemon before he stepped inside and the doors closed with a thud after him.

( 0—0 )

"Something up?" Hiro asked as he entered through the sliding doors.

The room was small, square, and lined with metal plates. Inside, there was only a table and two chairs. Seated in one was Ishioka.

He smiled when Hiro came in. "Yes. Please, sit down."

Hiro lowered himself into his seat. "There's actually a question I'd like to ask you, real quick."

"Questions can come later. First, please fill out this form." Ishioka slid a piece of paper over to him across the table. He handed Hiro a pen.

Hiro skimmed over it. "A test?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Of sorts."

Hiro looked back down at it. "Why?"

"Because I'd like to test your knowledge."

Hiro looked up at him with a doubtful look.

Ishioka shrugged. "It's just me being blunt and honest."

Hiro felt that little burst of pride, the urge to show off taking over. "Okay."

Ishioka pulled out a stop watch. "You may begin."

Hiro bent over the test and slowly scribbled down his answers. There were questions about chemistry, math, science, and basic reading skills. Though some of the questions were some real stumpers, he wormed his way through and finally put down his pen down half an hour later.

Ishioka stopped the watch and glanced down at it. His face broke out in a grin. "28 minutes." He looked up at Hiro and smiled. "I'm impressed. Most people who take this test finish in an hour."

"Yeah?" Hiro tossed his head, trying not to be too proud.

"Did you know the answers, or did you skip some?"

"I knew the answers if I didn't make an educated guess."

Ishioka folded the test away and took the pen. "I'd like to know a little bit about you," he confessed and clasped his hands on the table.

"So…you want me to tell you my backstory?"

Ishioka started to cough violently. He again pulled out his handkerchief and held it over his nose, taking a breath. He tucked it away. "I'm sorry. Please. Enlighten me."

Hiro nodded and gulped. "O…okay."

He told Ishioka how he'd lost his parents at age three, being sent to live with Aunt Cass at her café. He was an intelligent child, acing all his school work and skipping grades. He graduated high school at 13 and left the idea of college behind, since his interests took him elsewhere. When he'd had his fill of bot fighting glory, Tadashi finally convinced him to enroll in the college, which he did through the showcase and his microbots. However, he never had the chance to actually go there when the Cybugs attacked. Then he went through his whole history of the gangs and how he'd deviated.

Mr. Ishioka nodded. "Hiro…" he started and stood from his chair, pacing the floor for the words. "You're…a very bright young man," he concluded. "And I think you've taken a step no one else ever has, to try and exterminate the Cybugs."

Hiro felt his face grow hot as he rubbed his neck.

"Have you ever considered getting a job?"

"Briefly."

"What will you do after this?"

"I'll…I guess I'll try to help repair the city…patch up what damage the Cybugs have done. I'll rejoin my family."

"Would you consider working here?"

Hiro snapped his head up to look at him. "W…w-what?"

"Here, in this facility. You'd help us gain research and knowledge about the world, working alongside some of the finest men and women in the government. It's a dream come true for a science enthusiast, like you. I would love to have you here, and frankly, you'd be such a welcome improvement."

Hiro blinked. "That…that sounds amazing…but…I really have to get back to my family," he chuckled nervously.

"What if your family could stay here?" countered Ishioka.

Hiro shook his head. "I want to help rebuild the city, anyway."

"You could create tech to do just that here with all the tools you'll ever need at your fingertips."

Hiro sighed regretfully. "Mr. Ishioka, it's a very tempting offer…but my answer is no," he said finally.

"You're sure?"

"My no is no."

Straightening, Ishioka looked down at him. "Then I appear to have wasted your time," he said reluctantly. "I suppose your friends will be waiting for you."

Hiro nodded and stood up. "I'm sorry."

Ishioka smiled. "It was nothing. You did say you had a question?"

Hiro opened his mouth to say something. Then he quickly closed his mouth and smiled. "It…it was nothing." The door to the cubicle slid open and Hiro turned down the hall.

Ishioka watched him go, until the only thing left in the room was silence. Then he pulled back his sleeve and tapped a band on his wrist. "This is Ishioka," he spoke into it. "The target has been tested and passed. He is now approved for 007. However, he has refused the offer. He's headed back now. You have permissions to start."

The band crackled. " _Will do_ ," came a static voice.

( 0—0 )

Hiro walked down the hall, shoes making dull echoes, which bounced off the walls. His head raced. Why did Ishioka want him here? And why hadn't he asked the question? He should've. _You idiot,_ he thought to himself. He sighed and turned to round the corner.

Suddenly, three men with surgical gloves jumped out and grabbed him by the shoulder. Hiro screamed as they squeezed to hold him still. He fought back, kicking, scratching, and constantly screaming for help. A rubbery glove closed over his mouth and a needle was injected into his neck. Sharp, shrill pain stabbed him as the needle went in. There was more pain as it was pulled out. Hiro's scream was muffled through the gloved fingers.

"Keep him _still_ ," the man with the syringe reprimanded.

"I'm trying. He's a fighter."

"Excellent for 007." The man turned back with another tool, which was pressed against his neck. The man pushed a button and a needle stuck into Hiro's neck again. A red fluid was injected into his body. Hiro's muscles ached from the struggle. He panted heavily as his body started to feel slack. His vision spun and blurred. Black stars popped into his vision. His legs gave way beneath him, and he collapsed, unconscious.

 **Haha, I haven't updated in what? A month? So sorry, guys! Anyways, I'm sorry I'm slow, but I'm running on proof readers, and I have to email the chapter to them and get their feedback before I post, and I'm lazy when it comes to that, so...ye**

 **also who noticed i forgot the 'e' in last chapter's title that's what happens when you get hasty kids**


	27. Chapter XXVI: Blown Wide Open

"Is there a problem?" Ishioka asked as Tadashi entered the room past the automatic sliding doors. Behind him was a large display of multiple monitors, each playing footage from the security cameras scattered throughout the facility.

Tadashi looked around at the cameras before smiling. "Uh, no. I just came to check up on Hiro. He okay?"

"You can see for yourself." Ishioka gestured to a monitor over the left. Down below they saw Vanellope at a computer, chatting over her shoulder to Ralph, who sat on the floor sifting through file cabinets. The door slid opened and Hiro lumbered in, taking a seat at a computer. He yawned and kneaded his eyes before crossing his arms on his desk, slowly scrolling.

Tadashi furrowed his brow. "He…looks tired."

"I think he's having some sleep problems." Ishioka pursed his lips. "He fainted in the hall earlier. We revived him."

His eyes wide, Tadashi regarded Ishioka to see if he was joking or not. He didn't appear to be. "Fainted?"

Ishioka grinned at him. "Even a hardworking genius must succumb to the body's needs." He looked back up at Hiro. "Your son?"

Tadashi grinned to himself, having been asked the question multiple times from numerous people. "Kid brother," he replied. "Four years apart."

"Ah." Ishioka nodded. "You seem like the father figure to him."

"Our parents died when he was only three, so me and my aunt had to fill in, I guess." Tadashi rubbed his neck.

"I'm sorry." With a breath, Ishioka turned back to the monitor. "You brother has grown up in some hard circumstances…but he's exceptionally bright."

"Not bright enough to know when to turn in for the night, apparently."

"You want to check on him?"

Tadashi nodded. "I'll do that."

( 0—0 )

Vanellope looked up as the door slowly swung open on silent hinges. Tadashi held a finger to his lips and Vanellope nodded. She watched as Tadashi slowly came up behind Hiro and gave him a jerk on the shoulders. "Boo."

Hiro yelped and jumped, whirling around to see his brother. "T…what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I heard your sleep schedule is beyond messed up." Tadashi ruffled Hiro's hair. "Go take a nap."

"No way."

" _Go._ " Tadashi nudged the flimsy, moaning Hiro out of his chair. "You need rest. I'll cover for you."

Hiro turned. "For real?"

"Yeah!" Tadashi sat down in Hiro's seat. "Now go. Before I make you."

Hiro shot him a smile before turning for the door. "Baymax?" he asked.

The robot looked up at him. "Would you like to be escorted?"

"Sure. Thanks." Hiro nodded as Baymax toddled over. He leaned gratefully against the robot, wrapping his arms around Baymax's pudgy one, and the two disappeared through the door.

"He really needs help," Ralph said from his spot on the floor. "Have you guys seen his eyes? They have these giant purple bags, it looks like they'll drop from his face onto the floor."

"You guys noticed anything weird with him?" Tadashi asked as he peered at the computer monitor, trying to understand what Hiro was looking at.

"Well, he's been all sleepy at day and wide-awake scrolling through notes at night." Ralph shrugged. "It's probably best you came. You heard he fainted?"

"Yeah."

"You think he's been working himself too hard?" Vanellope asked.

Ralph sighed. "That much is obvious."

"Mm." Vanellope pursed her lips. "Hey, do you think it's possible we haven't been getting complete access to the database?"

Tadashi looked up at her, confused. "What brought that to mind?"

"Ralph found this file about some guy named Callaghan. It says he created the Cybugs, but there's absolutely nothing about him in the database. We checked, and even Baymax suggested it was because files were deleted, or something."

"Why would Ishioka do that?" Tadashi sighed, ready to put an end to Vanellope's theories.

"Maybe because…" Vanellope leaned closer. "He's hiding something," she hissed. "I tried accessing a map of the facility, and there's this entire underground level the computer won't let me access unless I have some sort of code."

"And we've only found things about the Cybugs anatomy, but no actual info on how to shut them down or nothing," Ralph added. "It's fishy, if you ask me."

Tadashi sighed. "So what do you suggest?"

"I wouldn't exactly ask Ishioka in his face about the access thing." Vanellope shrugged. "Maybe…can Hiro hack?"

"He probably could. But…"

"We should let the bugger rest," Ralph interjected.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Tadashi nodded. "Let him rest up before asking him to hack. He needs it."

Vanellope nodded, a little embarrassed. "Right. Yeah." With a sigh, she looked back to her monitor. She searched up things she had already searched up before and found results she had seen before. She checked the results she'd checked before, and read the information she'd read before. There was absolutely nothing new. You would've thought to create some sort of defensive shut-down if your invention went wacko. These guys were too smart to have forgotten that. The government's finest men and women, forgetting safety first? Dumb.

Raking her fingers through her ponytail, she finally exed out her window and leaned back in her chair. "This is pointless," she huffed.

"What's that?" Ralph asked.

"I said this is pointless. We're digging through all this stuff that we've already looked over, and we've found nothing, nada, zip, zilch. Why are we even here?" she asked and stood up. "I for one have an angry stomach that wishes to be appeased, and I'm bored anyway. And my legs need to stretch out." She reached high above her head and back to her toes. "I'm getting food."

"I'll come with you," Ralph agreed, stretching. "I've had enough of files for one day. And it's only been like, what, three? Four?"

Tadashi, still a little confused about why his friends were leaving since he just got there, stood up with them. "You guys sure you checked everything?"

"Yeah, and there's nothing," Vanellope repeated. "Think they'll have a cherry milkshake?"

"I don't see why not. But what I really want is some roast chicken," Ralph said as he scooped Vanellope onto his shoulders. "Watch your head."

Vanellope touched the top of the door frame as they walked out, Tadashi following on Ralph's heels. "I'm gonna…ask for a cherry milkshake, a bunch of lollipops…and…you know, I really just want a spinach strawberry salad."

Ralph stuck out his tongue. "Spinach? Ugh."

Vanellope crossed her arms over Ralph's spiky brown hair. "Hey, it's not like crispy chicken skin is any better."

"Look, the skin is the best part."

"Only because it gets all the seasoning."

"You shut it, you. You don't know what you're talking about. _Spinach._ "

When the three had made it to the mess hall and eaten their fill of strawberry and spinach salad, among other things, they lounged and chatted, catching up with each other. Even a few jokes were exchanged. Their talking was cut short when the overhead speaker crackled. " _The time is 8:30. Please make your way to your bunk rooms. The time is 8:30. Please make your way to your bunk rooms. Thank you._ "

Vanellope sighed. "Aw, bummer. I'm too awake to sleep."

"We should, though. Don't want to end up like Hiro, eh?" Ralph nudged her. "Big purple bags under your eyes? Walk around like a zombie all the time? Huh?" he teased, tracing circles under his eyes and holding out his arms with a wild look in his eye.

"I'm not gonna end up like Hiro if I don't go to bed at nine just once," she protested as Ralph patted her head. "And don't worry about me anyway. I'm not the one who's gonna do that hacking tomorrow."

Tadashi sighed and the three stood. "I just hope he actually _rested_ instead of scrolling through notes."

"We'll find out in a minute. And even if he did, we'll make him sleep when we get back by sitting on him," Ralph joked.

"You'd kill him, first," Vanellope giggled.

Ralph groaned. "I know! I know, it was sarcasm, you little pipsqueak."

She only giggled.

Tadashi and the others walked past the sliding doors into their bunkroom. "It feels like Star Trek," Vanellope remarked.

Ralph quickly shushed her and pointed.

In the corner, Baymax sat on the floor with a huddled figure in his arms. Hiro made no move as Tadashi knelt next to him, gently shaking his shoulder. "Hiro? Hiro. Hey, bro. Hey."

With a sleepy mumble and a groan, Hiro blinked heavy eyes and looked up at him. "Hwuungh?"

Tadashi chuckled. "Now it's actually time to go to bed. You're gonna have to share yours for a little bit. Now go brush."

With a moan of protest, Hiro rubbed his forehead and straightened. "Can't I just go to bed?" he asked.

"No. Go change and brush."

"If I don't fall asleep at the sink, first," Hiro grumbled and stood, hauling Baymax up after him.

"Hiro, you did not achieve a full cycle of needed REM."

"It's okay, bud. I'm gonna brush, change, and then I can get more REM," he yawned again and stumbled into the bathroom, the door closing behind him.

After the others had all changed and brushed, they dropped into their beds and were out like a light. Hiro stumbled, changed into his shorts and T-shirt, over to the bed where Tadashi sat up, pillow propped behind him while he skimmed some of Hiro's notes. "Your spelling's going down."

"I was in a hurry," Hiro mumbled as tugged off his socks. Then pulled the blankets away and fell onto the mattress, turned to one side and let out a breath. He didn't bother to pull the blanked up over him. Tadashi, still not being drawn away from his screen-pad, pulled the blankets over him and scrolled down a little further.

"Keep looking at notes and you're gonna look like me," Hiro sighed.

Tadashi blinked and looked down at him. "Yeah. Like a zombie," he said as he turned the pad off, lying down.

"I don't look like a zombie."

"Yes, you do."

Hiro made no reply.

"Hiro? You didn't fall asleep that fast, did you?"

There was still no reply.

Tadashi sighed with a chuckle and closed his eyes, listening to Hiro's breathing. With Ralph snoring and Vanellope curled up in her blankets, the four drifted off into a peaceful sleep while Baymax gently patted Hiro's head with a hushed "Good night, Hiro," before slipping into his charging box and deflating for the night.

( 0—0 )

"Okay, so you want me to what?" Hiro asked as he stretched his arms high above his head.

"Just…you know…" Vanellope shrugged. "Check to see if we have…you know…complete access to the you know, database. Just to make sure that Ishioka isn't…you know."

"I'm already sick of these 'you know's. You want me in? Okay, I'll go in." Hiro bent over the computer and pulled up terminal and whatever other things they didn't understand. "It may take me a while, though. They're systems are real tough. They have cameras, you know. Stop crowing around me and act natural."

"Good point," Ralph said and lumbered over to his usual spot by the file cabinets.

Vanellope sighed in disappointment and found her usual computer, plopping down in her swivel chair. Across the room, she saw Tadashi and Baymax find their own computers. The sound of Hiro's fingers clicking and typing constantly filled the room, telling them that he was busy. And not to be disturbed, too. Vanellope slumped and half-heartedly typed up what was on the menu for today's lunch. Some sort of salad and sandwich, or something. At the thought of food, her stomach growled. She sighed and left the lunch menu. Her mind drifted from the room. How were the others outside? Having a good time? Worried? Maybe they were too busy to worry.

And what about GoGo? Still tracking them down? There had to be more than one run-in coming. She wouldn't stand down that fast.

A horrible thought wormed its way into her head.

What if GoGo had found the others outside?

But she quickly dismissed the thought. They would've alerted Ishioka for help if that were the case. Still, she wondered.

"I'm in."

They all came flocking to Hiro's side. "So what? Did we have complete access?" Ralph asked.

"Nope," Hiro sighed glumly. "He's blocked off almost half of the database, most of which concerns Cybugs."

"That rat. I'm gonna—"

Vanellope was cut off by Tadashi silently shushing her with a finger to his mouth. "Microphones."

"My bad," she apologized quickly. "Should we try searching stuff now?"

"We only have a small amount of time. I can only hold open the connection for so long," Hiro explained. "Better hurry. Tadashi, Baymax, look up anything about terminating Cybugs. Ralph, Vanellope, search up Callaghan again."

Without another word, Tadashi, Baymax, and Vanellope bolted to computers and searched up what they could. Vanellope typed up Callaghan. Instead of zero results, she got 29. She opened up each one and instead of skimming, copied everything onto a screen pad to read later. "Dang!" she exclaimed. "They certainly don't like this Callaghan guy."

"You're telling me. Guess they slipped up with that file," Ralph commented over her shoulder. "Would you look at the size of that document? Gee!" He pointed a finger at the screen. "183 pages!"

"I'm not going to read all that," Vanellope said bluntly.

She had made it to the 18th search result when Tadashi called, "Guys, this is huge. They did make a defense shut down system."  
"Copy it and tell us later," Hiro said.

"Hiro, look. They created a beacon. It projects a shut-down signal and all Cybugs within the radius of its signal shut down. So if Ishioka already had the answer to terminating the Cybugs, why did he call us in for help?"

"Very interesting, but you guys need to hurry big time. Somebody may have already found me out," Hiro pointed out.

"We're good on this end," Tadashi called as Baymax finished lifting his hand off a computer monitor.

"Almost," Vanellope called. "Ah, it's probably not important. We're good!" she changed her mind quickly.

Hiro didn't reply.

"Hiro? Hey, I said I'm good."

Hiro's eyes were still glued to the computer and he did not look up.

"Hiro, did you hear her?" Tadashi asked.

"Hiro, your heart rate has increased dramatically. You appear to be surprised, or shocked. Are you alright?" Baymax and toddled over to Hiro. His eyes lens shifted as he watched what was on the screen. "Oh, no."

"What?" Ralph asked as Vanellope already got out of her seat.

As the other three crowded around, Vanellope could already tell it was something bad. The screen was divided into four squares, which showed a different view of the halls. "Why are you in the cameras?" she asked, but after she asked, she saw something that disturbed them all.

"Hiro, buddy, back up," Ralph said slowly, bending down closer to the screen.

Hiro's hand slowly drifted over the screen, where a flex of his wrist sent the tapes rewinding. He splayed his hand and the screens paused. "T…this is me…yesterday. After Ishioka called me in for the tests."

"Tests? What test?" Tadashi asked.

"Ishioka called me into this cubicle where he made me do this test. Afterwards, he offered me a place working for him," Hiro explained quickly. "I said no. I…think after that, I fainted."

"Play it," Tadashi said.

Hiro made a fist and the screens resumed.

The small figure of Hiro stalked down the hall briskly, looking obviously upset. He ran his fingers through his hair when he rounded the corner. Three men in lab coats and rubber gloves stepped out and jumped him. Hiro jumped back like he was startled, but the men had already grabbed him by the shoulders. Hiro fought them, and then they injected something into his neck. Hiro threw his head back as if in pain.

"Holy crap! What was that?" Ralph exclaimed.

Hiro still sat silent as the tape continued.

When the second injection had commenced, Hiro collapsed onto the floor to be picked up by the men and carried into a surgical room. At this point, they started to strip Hiro, and Vanellope was forced to look away.

"Skip this part," Tadashi said quickly.

Hiro, red-faced, obliged and fast forwarded until he was lying on a bed with a blanket over him. Young personnel and doctors started to work on him, using injections, checking brain activity, and a whole bunch of other things. After the affair had finished, they dressed him again and carried him back to the turn where they had jumped him. They lay him on the floor and somebody sprinkled water on his face, slapping his cheek. When Hiro sat up, they patted his shoulder and helped him to his feet. Hiro waved off something and continued down the hall.

"That does _not_ look like fainting to me, kid," Ralph said seriously and straightened.

"I don't remember any of that," Hiro whispered faintly.

"Did Ishioka do that to you?" Tadashi stood, outraged. "They had absolutely _no_ right! What were they doing to you, anyway?!"

"Calm down," Ralph placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping Tadashi from his pacing. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

Vanellope bit her lip and watched Hiro. While Ralph and Tadashi gently bickered, Hiro stared at the screen, oblivious. She sat down next to him. "Are you sure you don't remember anything? This could be important."

Hiro shook his head. "No…except…maybe the jumping part."

Tadashi and Ralph stopped to look down at him. "What?"

"They jumped me…" Hiro said quickly, stroking his chin. "And…they said I was a fighter…and…00…7. They said something about this thing called 007."

"What's 007?" Vanellope asked.

"I don't know. I don't _know_!" Hiro said and sat up quickly. "I don't know anything! I don't remember that at all! I don't remember _any of it_!" He slammed his finger on the power button and the screen went black.

"Hiro." Baymax came and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Relax. Allow me to scan you." Hiro said nothing as Baymax looked him over head to toe. "Hiro, you appear to have multiple punctures to the neck, which indicates that you have had several injections." Hiro said nothing. "You also appear to have a chip underneath your skin."

"Wh _at_?!" the other three asked.

"A chip? Are you saying they planted a chip in him?" Tadashi demanded.

"Hiro has a large puncture to the back of his neck, right underneath which is an active chip," Baymax said. "Hiro, your emotions are off the scale." He quickly pulled Hiro into a hug. "You appear to be experiencing anger, confusion, anxiety, and fear. Hugs tend to be stress relieving." He paused for a moment. "Your stress levels are rising," he noted.

"We might be in danger here," Hiro said quietly. "He's been hiding critical information from us, he's lied, he's done something to me, and who knows what else."

"We should go," Ralph agreed.

"Say we got what we found from their database and leave." Tadashi nodded. "You okay?" He looked over at Hiro. When his brother didn't respond, he gently pried Hiro out of Baymax's arms and took him by the shoulder, looking him in the eye. "Hiro, under no circumstances are we supposed to let them know we did this. Okay?"

Hiro nodded. "I just want to get out of this place."

( 0—0 )

"We're packed?" Ralph asked as everybody nodded their heads. "Then let's go." He hoisted Vanellope onto his shoulders and left their bunk room.

The five made their way down the hall, Baymax lingering behind to accompany Hiro. "Hiro, you remember what Tadashi said."

"Yeah."

"Your behavior may alert Mr. Ishioka that something is troubling you, leading to him asking questions. I do not believe this is what is best for our group to leave this facility."

Hiro rubbed his neck, where he knew was a chip and a bunch of syringe punctures. "It was just haunting…it'll pass," he murmured before snaking his hand into the robot's, eyes cast towards the tiled floor.

Baymax looked down at his chubby hand. "Are you ashamed that Mr. Ishioka's workers violated your privacy?"

Hiro's face darkened and he leaned closer "Just stop talking about, will you? You want me to act all happy and junk, remember?" he muttered under his breath, but only clasped Baymax's hand harder. "I'm trying to forget about it. _I hate his guts_ ," he hissed.

A couple of the youth personnel came out of the hall. "Excuse me?" a young woman asked, stepping in front of them.

"Yeah?" Ralph asked as Vanellope sucked in a breath atop his shoulders.

"Mr. Ishioka would like to see you first. This way, please." She held out her hands, gesturing for them to proceed. Away from where they wanted to go.

"Oh, well, we had to tell him anyway, so sure," Tadashi said quickly and lead the way.

Eventually, they stepped passed sliding doors and into a dark room only illuminated by the many glowing computer screens along the walls. Each one held a view of different sections of the facility. Mr. Ishioka's silhouette was eclipsed by the glow. He looked up at the cameras before turning around. "I saw you packing. Are you leaving?" he asked. "I hope you found what you came for."

"We did, actually." Tadashi nodded. "I think we're more than equipped to handle those Cybugs. We practically know the ins and outs," he laughed.

Ishioka smiled. "Well then."

"Is there a reason you called us here?" Ralph asked. "Because if not, we'll be on our way. Need to get back to the others outside."

With a sad chuckle, Ishioka hung his head. "I'm afraid I'm…not quite ready to let you all go yet." With that, older, stronger men stepped out of the shadows and blocked the door.

"Oh, no," Baymax said and looked around.

"Your friends outside will have to do without for a little bit longer," Ishioka said apologetically.

Ralph looked around nervously. "Ah, what's all this? Is…are you afraid of someone eavesdropping on our conversation? Lots of bodyguards, I see," he noted.

Ishioka nodded. "Now."

Hiro gasped as man suddenly wrenched him away from Baymax by the shoulders. "HEY! Let me go! DON'T TOUCH HIM!" he warned as a man stepped over to Baymax. He attached some sort of device onto Baymax's card slot.

Baymax looked down at himself. "Oh…nooouuuuu." His voice warbled as his eyes faded. He suddenly folded his skeleton, releasing all the air. He fell to the floor and the man dragged him away.

"NOOO!" Hiro screamed.

"Get your hands off him!" Tadashi demanded, but was quickly stopped when a man held a gun to his chest and motioned for him to back away.

"Why are you doing this?" Ralph demanded, lowering Vanellope from his shoulder and putting an arm around her. "What did we do?"

"You broke into my database and found information that I did not wish you to see." Ishioka looked at Ralph over the rims of his glasses.

"Yeah, and why were you hiding all that info anyway? Callaghan, the beacon? And then you ambushed a kid in the hall and did a whole bunch of tests on him! What's the deal with that?"

Ishioka sighed. "You want the whole story? Then make yourself comfortable as you can get." He cleared his throat. "Yes, I lied. Call—"

"Wow, we didn't know that until know," Hiro drawled.

Ishioka growled and pointed a finger at him. "You keep your mouth shut. Yes, Callaghan was the original creator of the Cybugs. He created them to clean waste from the bottom of the ocean. In case they got out of hand, he created the beacon to transmit a long-range shut-down signal. It was ingenious. His daughter, Abigail, was also thoroughly immersed in this project. Callaghan worked with a man named Alistar Krei. I was merely a scientist on this project. But that changed very soon. Callaghan and Krei presented the project to the government and it was accepted. However, I had a different idea for these things. I murdered Callaghan and Krei after they caught me sabotaging their Cybugs. Soon, they went on a rampage. They escaped their island confines and found the mainland. Soon, San Fransokyo was in ruins, her inhabitants sent running for their lives."

"What about Abigail?" Vanellope asked.

"She now works for me," Ishioka answered.

"Why did you do it?" Vanellope asked. "You wouldn't just let the Cybugs go crazy for no reason, especially if they could've killed you, too."

Ishioka smiled. "Smart girl. Yes, I had a purpose. But why should I share it with you? I—" He started cough and the handkerchief made its appearance briefly and then disappeared back into his pocket.

Vanellope stared at it. "Was that blood?" she asked.

Ishioka didn't answer. "It's a disease. One that I intend to conquer soon."

Vanellope's eyes widened. "Are you _dying_?"

"NO!" Ishioka snapped. "I…will not be dying." He waved his hands. "I've had enough. Begin."

The men grabbed Tadashi, Hiro, and Vanellope was dragged away from Ralph. "RALPH!" she screamed and reached out for his arm as a man grabbed her around the waist and clamped a hand around her chin. Another man held a gun to her head. "Make one move, and we'll shoot her," he hissed.

Ralph quickly backed away and raised his hand. "Don't hurt her or you'll be sorry, you rat."

Vanellope's chest heaved as she tried not to cry. A whimper escaped her lips and tears spilled over her cheeks. "Ralph, please!" she cried out, not sure what to say.

The man holding Hiro dragged him from the back of the crowd up to Ishioka. "Get your filthy mitts of me, or I _swear_ I'll kill you!" he yelled.

Ishioka looked down at him. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you."

"Excuse me? Like you didn't have a choice?" Hiro protested. "You could've jumped some other unsuspected kid in the hall to violate his privacy! Don't act like you didn't have a choice!"

"I didn't. It had to be you."

"Yeah? And _why_ the heck is that?!" Hiro struggled against the man's grip.

Ishioka chuckled and leaned next to Hiro's ear. "This is why I wanted you to come all along," he whispered.

A woman came up and stuck a syringe into Hiro's neck. The man and the woman stepped away as Hiro fell to the floor in front of Ishioka's feet.

"HIRO!" Tadashi screamed and wrenched himself out of his captor's grasp, falling to his knees as he rolled Hiro's limp body into his lap. " _What did you DO to him_?!"

"The same thing we're going to do to you," Ishioka replied.

The woman stuck the syringe into Tadashi's neck. Eyes rolled back in his head, Tadashi fell to the floor, Hiro still in his arms.

Vanellope screamed as the man pressed the muzzle of the gun into her hair. "Don't move! Don't resist, or she dies!" he ordered.

Ralph let out a breath and glared at the man as the woman injected him in the neck. It took two doses before he fell to the floor with a loud thud, making the computers rattle. In desperation, Vanellope glanced down at her fallen friends. A sharp pain jabbed her in the neck, and with a swoon, she joined her comrades on the floor. Her head spun and her vision blurred as stars popped in and out of her eyes. Then it went black.

Ishioka looked at the four of them and the robot. "Take the robot away and charge it in its charging box. Save it for reprogramming." The youth nodded and pulled the robot out of the room. "Prepare the boy for 007. Don't touch him until I'm there. As for the other three," he glanced down and nudged Tadashi's limp hand. "Wipe them." He coughed into his handkerchief and took a deep breath of the chemicals stained into the cloth. His lungs were instantly soothed. The handkerchief was stained with blood again. He'd have to get it washed.

 **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) have fun waiting until my next update.**


	28. Chapter XXVII: Break Out

Light pierced past her eyelids. A bright light that hurt. And pain jabbed at her brain that she couldn't soothe. Groggy limbs had their nerves returned and her world spun into focus. She blinked open her eyes. She instantly regretted it. The light shone right above her eyes, showing no mercy in its white rays. Vanellope squinted and groaned, sitting up.

That's when she realized she was strapped to a table. Also, her clothes were replaced with a light blue hospital gown. Struggling, she glanced down her body, immobilized by long, thick straps that held her to the cold table, and at her bare toes. She wiggled them. Sighing, she let her head down again and her bangs fell into her eyes. With no arms or hands to push them out of the way, she wildly tossed her head. Then she saw Tadashi to her left. Ralph to her right. They weren't wearing hospital gowns. But they were still strapped down same as she was. Hiro was nowhere to be seen.

 _That rat Ooshiuka what's his face._ She growled in her head. _What did he do to him? What is he going to do to me?_ Sucking in a breath, she let out a sharp " _PPPPPPSSSST_!"

Tadashi stirred, but didn't wake.

"Tadashi! Pppppssssst! Hey! _Hey_! Wake up!" she hissed.

A moan escaped Tadashi's lips.

" _TADASHI_!" she hissed again.

Then his eyes fluttered open. He also squinted at the bright light above his head and let out a moan. "Guuuugh."

"Tadashi!" Her eyes widened in excitement. "Hey!"

Tadashi tried to sit up and found the iron force of the table straps. Now fully awake, he glared down at the straps and tried to break loose. Shake them from the table. Rip them in any way. Met with defeat, he let his head fall. He turned his head to look at Vanellope. "How long have we been like this?" he breathed, panting heavily from his effort to escape.

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Hiro?"

"Not here."

"Ralph?"

"Here, but still asleep."

"Is he bound?"

"I…" She turned to check. Ralph was bound to a table identical to theirs, but she knew that selfish diaper baby could break through those things any day. "If we could wake him up, we'd be free in no time."

The two instantly commenced in a series of frantic pssting and hey, wake ups, but to no avail. Ralph snored like a rock.

Vanellope looked for something to throw at his head, but realized that wouldn't work. A lightbulb above her head flickered. She had an idea. Rolling her tongue around in her mouth, she worked up a big spit ball. Time to put Ralph's lessons to use. Carefully positioning the saliva on the tip of her tongue, she spit and scraped it off with her teeth. The saliva hit Ralph on the cheek.

His snoring suddenly was cut off and he gave a snort. He jerked and his eyes snapped open. "Whuh? What—Aaaauuuurggguuh!" he groaned. "You little weasel! I should throw you in the mud for that!"

"Ralph!" she cut him off, "Break us out of here!"

When Ralph came to his senses and became fully aware of their situation, he grunted and pulled against the straps of his table. Loud creaking and ripping echoed through the room and soon he stood upright next to a crashed table. "Well that's done." He dusted off his hands.

"Hurry and get us before somebody comes!" Tadashi urged.

Ralph ripped Vanellope out of her bed first. "Good spitting. You took after me. Why are you wearing a hospital gown?"

"I don't know. Just…where are my clothes?" Vanellope asked hurriedly, scurrying around the room to find them while Ralph pulled Tadashi's straps off.

She finally got a good look at the room. It was sort of small, with a few computers by each bed. A desk lined the room and shelves above that, stocked with a whole bunch of hospital-looking things. Almost like an advanced hospital room. Her eyes came to rest on a bag on the shelf. Pulling it down and peering inside it, she found her clothes. Quickly, she tugged on her Capri and socks, lacing up her boots. She glanced at the boys. "Turn around." When they obliged, she slid off the gown and pulled on her tank-top and hoodie. There was no time to redo her ponytail.

"Let's go," Ralph said and the three made for the door.

It slid open before they could reach it and a woman stepped inside. She had brown hair pulled back into a simple ponytail and a white lab coat. Her blue eyes widened when she saw them. With no hesitation, Ralph grabbed her, pulling her inside and holding her up against the wall. He smashed the security camera above them and looked down at the woman.

She gulped, trembling. "Wait! Wait, please, don't hurt me! I—"

"Sssh," Tadashi shushed her. "Who are you?"

The woman took a shaky breath. "I'm Abigail Callaghan. I need to tell you something."

"Save it for later," Ralph said darkly, tightening his grip. "Your dad caused us a whole lot of trouble, you know that?"

"Wait! Wait! Hold on!" she said quickly. "It's the boy!"

Tadashi's eyes widened. "Ralph! Stop! Stop! Hold on!" Ralph quickly let go of her shoulders and let her out of the corner. "My brother?" Tadashi asked.

Abigail nodded. "Yes. Small, black hair, gap tooth?"

"Yeah. Where is he?"

"I came to take you to him."

"Hold up," Ralph stopped them. "You're lying."

"No, no, I'm not! I'm earnest! If you want to get out of here alive, we need to move now."

"Wait, get out? We?" Ralph pointed a finger at her. "I'm not falling for it. You're up to something and I don't like it."

Abigail gulped again. "Is there anything I could do to prove it to you?"

"It's hopeless, Abigail, they're just going to kill you. You should leave while you can!" a sullen voice urged.

Vanellope wrinkled her brow. Then she realized Abigail was holding a green orb. The green orb turned and glared at her with yellow eyes.

Vanellope shrieked and the orb gasped, holding detached hands to his mouth. "See? See? They're going to kill us!" it exclaimed.

Abigail hit the thing on the head. "Shut up."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," it sighed forlornly.

"Don't mind Sour Bill." Abigail cleared her throat. "Your brother has been chosen to be the host for 007. He—"

"What is 007?" Vanellope asked.

"It's a project that Ishioka has been working on for some time. The problem is that it could never be complete without an extremely intelligent youth, such as your brother. There's more to 007, but if we don't' hurry, your brother may be lost as the host. We need to move now," Abigail explained.

"I don't trust her," Ralph said frankly.

Tadashi looked at Abigail. "You want to get us out?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

"Because if 007 is complete, it could mean the end of your home, and possibly humanity," she said quickly. "Ishioka is a bent man and nothing can dissuade him now."

"Don't tell them about it!" Sour Bill protested.

"What will Ishioka do to you if he finds out you helped us?" Tadashi asked.

Abigail gulped. "I don't know. Hopefully, that won't happen, because…" She took in a nervous breath. "I…take me with you."

"What?!" All three of them exclaimed.

"See? See—" Sour Bill was cut off when Abigail hit him on the head.

She sighed. "Shut _up_ or I'll shut you off. _Please_ , please take me. I can't be stuck on this island any longer. I'll go mad. And I can't tolerate Ishioka anymore."

Tadashi put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure?"

"Tadashi…" Ralph cautioned.

Abigail nodded. "Yes. I know this facility better than any of you. I swear I can get you out…if you let me."

Tadashi nodded firmly. "Lead the way."

Abigail nodded and straightened her white lab coat. "Then we need to move. Soon, they'll see you're gone on the security cameras. I've managed to disable them for a while, but it's only a matter of time before my bug works its cycle." She turned and ran down the hall with Sour Bill under her arm. Ralph, Tadashi, and Vanellope followed. Then Abigail abruptly stopped and pressed herself against the wall, motioning for the others to do the same when they came to a cross section. They dropped in line next to her just as four of the youth personnel turned down the hall. Abigail waved for them and hung a left. "Hurry," she reminded them.

As they made their fast journey down the white halls, they finally approached a closed door. Abigail placed her hand on a small screen on the wall.

" _Please state your name_ ," a computer asked.

"Callaghan, Abigail."

" _Others with you_?"

"Cleared," Abigail said. The metal door slid open and she waved for the three to come inside. "The robot is in the corner." She pointed to the red charging box in the corner. They cautiously entered the room to find it wasn't much different from the one they had woken up in. The only differences were that it was bigger, more computers, a rolling tray filled with tools, and one bed, which was occupied by one person. Abigail came over and brushed some of his hair out of his face. "He's still unconscious."

Tadashi came over and looked Hiro over while Vanellope nervously peeked from behind, clutching Baymax's box. His raven hair was out, his hair band lying on one of the rolling trays. An oxygen mask was tightened to his pale, clammy skin, but his eyes were still open, staring blankly. His clothes were gone, dressed in a white hospital gown that came to his knees. His feet were bare, and various tubes were taped to his skin, which were all hooked up to certain machines. A black screen showed a green line that gently rose in jagged peaks every now and then. His heartbeat. Two additional lines beneath were in perfect sync, rising and falling with each other. The top line was labeled _host_ and the bottom line was labeled _translator._ On a rolling table nearby, a glass of water was tainted red. At the bottom of the glass, a small, metal chip with spindly wires sat as a red light pulsed. It finally struck Tadashi why the water was red.

"He looks awful," Sour Bill griped as Vanellope grabbed Baymax's charging box. "And his hair is too long."

Tadashi pressed a hand to Hiro's face before snapping back to Abigail. "What's this 'host' thing you've been talking about?"

Abigail quickly locked the door, securing the fact that they were alone in the room. "007 is basically a Cybug enhancement project," she explained. "It's designed to give Cybugs human thinking skills. Logic, basic problem solving, everything down to how to turn a door knob. With skills from humans, Cybugs can overcome numerous obstacles, equipped with whatever they need. Ishioka's going to send a wave of the upgraded bugs and normal bugs to the mainland"

"Where does the host come in?" Ralph asked.

"The host is essentially the source from which we draw the problem-solving skills. The reason why most of the personnel are youth here is because Ishioka was testing them to see if they were eligible to be the host. Of course, none of them were."

"You're giving it all away," Sour Bill reminded.

"So that's why he's supposed to be smart." Ralph nodded.

"As host, he's undergone brain surgery," Abigail added. "His body is spammed down with pain killers and drugs, so when he wakes up, he may—"

" _Brain surgery_?!" Tadashi and Ralph exclaimed.

"To extract the skills, we remove two of the braincells that hold the basic information, and then we place them in a special fluid that keeps them active long enough for us to translate the information into computer code, which we then code into Cybugs."

"Uuuugh," Sour Bill moaned.

"Why enhance the Cybugs?" Vanellope asked, hefting Baymax's box.

"Because he's going to use them to be immortal." Abigail held out her arms. "He's going to be ingested by a Cybugs, and the Cybugs are going to help him and be his little guards. If he's ingested by a Cybug, he'll be nigh unstoppable. He's going to send the wave of Cybugs to the mainland to establish his foothold to take power."

"I can't believe he'd even do that," Sour Bill complained.

"Because he's dying. Right?" Vanellope asked slowly.

Abigail nodded.

Tadashi growled. "Hiro's not staying here another second longer." He grabbed some tubes and wrenched them out of Hiro's body, ripping off all the wires and pulling the oxygen mask off of his face. The minute he did, Hiro's eyes fluttered closed and his head lolled. With a grunt, Tadashi lifted Hiro's limp body into his arms and hefted him gently. "Let's get out of here."

Vanellope grabbed a bag off a shelf, which contained Hiro's clothes, slinging it on top of Baymax's box and joined the others.

Then the door slid open and two doctors stepped in.

In the blink of an eye, Ralph grabbed them and thrust them against the wall, where they slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"I agree." Abigail nodded.

( 0—0 )

"Sir!" A crewman said as he entered the room.

Ishioka adjusted his glasses and walked into the room. "What is it?"

They both turned to the cameras. "All of the cameras lost contact!" He held his arms out to the computer screens, where all of the views were black with static. Red, glowing words on each screen flashed NO SIGNAL. "They've been like this for almost twenty minutes!" The crewman explained.

"Get them back on line. It's probably just a bug," Ishioka sighed.

Then, all the screens flashed and the views returned.

"Ah. See—" Ishioka stopped mid-sentence.

In the wiping room, three beds were empty and one was wrecked. In the surgery room, there was no one. All four beds were empty. Ishioka's fist clenched and a snarl built in his throat. He swore loudly. "SOMEBODY _GET_ THOSE GREMILNS AND PUT THE FACILITY ON LOCKDOWN!" He thundered and doubled over, coughing violently into his handkerchief. He cursed again.

The crewman stood and helped him steady himself. "Sir! Your fits are getting worse. You need to take that—"

Ishioka waved him off, cursing. "Just get the facility on lockdown!"

( 0—0 )

"Turn here," Abigail said quickly and the others turned with her down the hall. "Ishioka should have access to the cameras, so we have to—"

An ear-piercing blare echoed through the corridors and red lights started to glow. They froze. Vanellope whimpered, clutching Baymax's box to her chest. "What just happened?"

"We've been found out. Move!" Abigail waved them on.

Tadashi took the lead, carrying the limp Hiro in his arms. Vanellope followed behind with Abigail, and Ralph took the rear. Tadashi looked down at Hiro, who jerked and moaned. _No. NO. No, no, no, no, no, NO! Not now! NOT now!_ He prayed in his head, trying to stop his jostling.

It was too late. With a groggy groan, Hiro's eyes blinked open and he looked up at Tadashi. "Where are we?" he asked slowly.

"Hiro, please just shut up. I don't have time to explain," Tadashi begged.

"Explain what?" Hiro tried to straighten himself. "Why are you carrying me—whoa, what the heck am I wearing? Where are my clothes? Why are you jogging?"

Tadashi hefted Hiro and didn't stop running. "We're getting out of here."

Now aware of their situation, Hiro shut his mouth and wrapped his arms around Tadashi's neck, determined to at least see where they were going.

"We're going to have to take a detour through the underground level to avoid some heavy security. This way," Abigail waved for them to follow her inside an elevator. Ralph smashed a small camera in the corner before Abigail pushed the B level button. The elevator lurched and they could feel themselves dropping. After a short wait, the elevator dinged and the doors opened.

It was darker down here. There were less lights on the ceiling and the color of the walls and floors were a darker shade of grey. They followed Abigail down the eerily silent hall, feeling more uneasy in the dark. Suddenly, a long window flashed into view on the right. Apparently, they were on an overpass, looking down into a huge room, brightly lit. On the tiled floor far below, people in white lab coats rushed around, but most importantly, they were weaving through many Cybugs lying, on the floor, unfunctional. Vanellope risked a minute to stop, staring in horror. "Are those the Cybugs they're going to upgrade?" she asked.

Abigail paused to look back at her. "Yes. But we're exposed in front of the window. Thankfully, they don't usually look up. I should know. We need to keep moving. Come!" She continued jogging down the hall. Finally, the others followed. They entered another elevator and were lifted back to the main level. They were heading toward a large, open door the size of a garage door. On the other side of the door was the night sky. Freedom.

"No!" Vanellope exclaimed, nearly dropping Baymax's box.

"The door!" Abigail exclaimed. "Get through the door!"

Then they noticed that the giant door was closing. And there was no way they could get through. They skidded to a halt as it lowered shut in front of them.

"No! NO!" Abigail ran up to the door and whipped out a card, sliding it through a slot on the wall. "Callaghan! Abigail! Others are cleared! I _have access to this area_!" she yelled frantically. "I'm _Abigail Callaghan_!"

"Let me see it!" Hiro yelled. "Let me see it!" Tadashi let Hiro down, who ran to Abigail's side. He turned to Ralph. "Rip this off!"

Ralph quickly grabbed the slot panel and wrenched it out of the wall. Inside was a pocket filled with wires and cables. Hiro peered inside frantically, murmuring things to himself. "Which is the main power wire?" he asked.

"It's not going to work."

They all froze and turned.

Ishioka strode toward them, a pistol in his hand. "Cut off the power, the door will be stuck. You'll just trap yourself in." He laughed. "Not like you aren't trapped already." He furrowed his brow. "Abigail?"

Abigail clutched Sour Bill to her chest defiantly. "That's my name."

Ishioka smiled. "I should've know you were to one who helped them. And why? Why would you desert—"

"Because you're a _mad man_!" she yelled. "You're twisted! I'd rather die than help you!"

Ishioka raised his pistol. "I can do that."

Sour Bill clutched the sleeve of Abigail's lab coat. "That's a gun, Abigail. He's going to shoot you! Listen to him! I told you this would all end in failure!"

"Listen to the robot, Abigail." Ishioka clicked his tongue. "For once, he's being wise."

Hiro stuck his fingers into the wires and pulled out a thick cable the size of his pinky. " _Gotcha_ ," he muttered under his breath. He screamed as a bullet dented the wall next to his head. An eerie silence gave way to the click of a cocked gun.

"Step away from the panel, son," Ishioka said.

Hiro gulped and took in a shaky breath, holding absolutely still. Then he finally straightened and turned around, slowly held his hands in the air. "Okay. Okay," he said quietly. "Don't shoot."

Ishioka grinned. "You see, Abigail? He's being wise. You should join him. All of you." He turned to look at Vanellope, Tadashi, and Ralph. "If you'd just stayed put, I would've wiped your memories and let you go peacefully. But no, you had to make it harder for yourselves. I don't get it."

Ralph took in a breath. "What I don't get is why the five of us, six including the cough drop, should give in to one man with a gun. Technically, I could beat you to a pulp. It takes more than a few bullets to get through to me, you know."

Ishioka nodded. "True. But luckily, I've got more than a few bullets."

Abigail stood next to Hiro. "Snap the cable," she hissed into his ear. "It'll immobilize the door, but your friend could lift it easily enough."

"Don't listen to her, Hiro," Ishioka cut in. "I like you. And I don't want to have to put a hole in your head. I really don't."

Hiro shivered and lowered his hands, turning back to the panel. "Ralph?" He asked. "The cable."

"Gotcha." Ralph came and snapped the wire. The door gave an audible, dying whine just as a bullet hit Ralph in the shoulder. A small bloom of red followed as he groaned painfully.

" _RAAALPH_!" Vanellope screamed.

Tadashi shot forward and ducked a bullet. Ishioka was just about to put a hole in his head, when a flash of white jumped in the way. As Tadashi slammed Ishioka to the ground, Abigail panted heavily and leaned against the wall, slumping to the floor. A splotch of red stained her perfect white coat.

"Abigail!" Sour Bill cried. "Why didn't you listen to me?"

Dropping Baymax's box, Vanellope ran over to the woman and held her hand. "You okay? Are you okay?" she asked quickly.

Abigail coughed and a trickle of blood dripped down her chin. "Hon, look at me," she wheezed. A pair of shaky hands placed Sour Bill into Vanellope's hands. "Look after this guy for me, please."

"What?" Vanellope looked down at the robot, who looked, shocked, back up at her. "I…no. NO!" she sniffed. "We can't just leave you here! You need help! Here, just stand up. I'll help you."

"No." Abigail pushed Vanellope away gently. The blood spread and stained the coat. "I'm not going to make it. I'm just glad I went helping you guys out."

Vanellope felt tears spring to her eyes. "No," she protested.

"Hon, don't let my death be in vain. Get out of here. While you still can. You've got your big friend and the boy and his brother. You're not alone. You can get out of this. Go." Abigail sucked in a sickly breath. " _Go._ " Her hands fell from Vanellope's, limp.

"Abigail!" Sour Bill blubbered.

Vanellope stood up quickly, a coil of dread in the pit of her stomach tightening. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she ran to Ralph with Sour Bill and Baymax's box. "Your shoulder!"

"It's fine," Ralph winced, pulling a hand away from his shoulder, stained in blood. "I can still get us out of here."

Meanwhile, Ishioka had turned the tables and was now on top of Tadashi, holding the muzzle of his gun to his head. Before he could pull the trigger, Hiro barreled into him and rolled him off. His fists found themselves flying. " _DON'T! TOUCH! MY! BROTHER! EVER! AGAIN!_ " he screamed in between punches. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Tadashi watched Hiro go, so in shock he couldn't bring himself to stop him.

"Hiro!" Vanellope pleaded, crying even harder. "STOPPIT!" she shrieked.

Hiro continued to punch.

" _Please_!" Vanellope sobbed.

Tadashi finally grabbed Hiro's arm and pulled him up. "Hiro! Enough!"

" _I'll kill him_!" Hiro struggled against Tadashi's strong grasp. "Let me go!"

Tadashi pulled Hiro into an embrace to get him to stop fighting. "I'm here," he said as Hiro writhed with the last of his strength. "Leave him."

"No," Hiro protested, taking in heaving breathes.

" _Leave him_ ," Tadashi said firmly.

When Hiro made no response, Tadashi pulled him away from Ishioka, whose face was a bleeding mass. The man coughed softly.

Ralph tucked his fingers under the door and strained. His muscles tightened and he scrunched up his face as the door made a low, unhealthy creak. Ever so slowly, the door rose. "Quickly. Go," he squeezed, hefting the door.

Hiro and Tadashi quickly ducked under and Vanellope followed.

She was suddenly shocked and bounced back, away from the entrance. Hiro and Tadashi turned to see what was going on. She tried again, harder, but was only shocked harder and bounced back harder. Like she was hitting an invisible wall. "What?" She breathed. She pressed herself against whatever it was over and over again, but couldn't make it through. She stretched out her arms, but only Baymax's box was allowed past up to where her hands clutched the handles.

"What's going on?" Ralph asked, looking down at her.

She tried to stop her tears. "I can't go through!"

"What?" The Hamada brothers exclaimed at the same time.

She sniffed. "There's something blocking me!"

"Oh no…" Sour Bill groaned.

"What!?" she demanded.

"I think you've been injected with the APS!" he gasped and held his hands to his mouth.

"What the heck is that?" Hiro demanded, running back to them.

"It's a serum with a certain chemical ingredient that this shield blocks out! It's a way to keep certain people from leaving the facility!"

"WHAT?!" Ralph yelled.

 _Is that why I was in a hospital gown?_ Vanellope thought to herself as she felt her tears brimming again. Unable to suppress them, she started to cry again.

"No. No, no way," Hiro said quickly. "We're not leaving without you."

"I can't hold this open much longer!" Ralph grimaced.

Vanellope sobbed. "I can't leave, can I? I…am I stuck here?"

"No, no, look at me," Hiro said, gripping her by the shoulders. "We're going to get you out." He ran back into the facility door gate and started to tamper with a panel on the wall.

"Hiro!" Ralph protested past puffs as sweat beaded on his forehead. "Get out! I could give at any second!"

"No!" Hiro yelled back at him. "I'm cutting all power!"

Not a minute after he'd said it, the whole facility was plunged into darkness. All light died and all the whirring noises faded to a stop.

A bullet whizzed past them, and they turned to see a weary Ishioka with his pistol pointed at them. He shot again, and hit Ralph in the leg. The man let out a yell.

"NO! RALPH!" Vanellope screamed.

Ralph was hit again in the chest. Blood slowly dripped from the hole and stained his button-down. More bangs ear-piercing shots commence.

" _STOPPIT_!" she screamed again.

Hiro grabbed Vanellope shoulders. "WE NEED TO GO!"

"NO!"

The two were thrown to the ground when Tadashi pushed them out of the way, just as a bullet grazed the side of his head. Tadashi fell, blood trickling from the scratch on his forehead.

"Tadashi!" Quickly slinging his brother's arm around his shoulders, Hiro hauled Tadashi to his feet and dragged him out.

"Go, you two," Ralph strained in a wet voice. Even in the dark, they could see blood flowing from his mouth and down his neck, staining the collar of his shirt that was already a deep red.

"NO!" Vanellope wept. Hiro grabbed Vanellope's hand and they jumped past the field, just as Ralph collapsed, the door closing on top of him with a crack. Baymax's box and Sour Bill flew out of Vanellope's arms, landing in the dust a few feet away. "Ralph! Ralph! NO! No! Ralph…! Ralph…" Vanellope's cries faded into chest-racking sobs as she fells to her knees, clutching her head. She ran to Ralph and buried her face into his brown hair, crying uncontrollably.

"Vanellope!" Hiro called in the midst of his own tears and hauled her up under his arm. "WE NEED TO GO!"

Vanellope only sobbed. Her trembling fingers dug into Ralph's button-down, tugging at a pink ribbon. She shrieked as Hiro grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her under his arm.

Hiro panted as he dragged both Tadashi, Vanellope, and Baymax's box away from the door. Away from the chain-link fence. Away from the facility. Away from Ralph and Abigail. The grave Sour Bill trundled behind them. Sweat plastering his hair to his face, panting, tears streaming down his face, he trudged on, pulling the unconscious Tadashi. Vanellope finally found her feet, scooped up Baymax's box and wept after him.

After trudging through some heavy undergrowth, they found their camp. The small glow of the orange fire welcomed them, and Diana leapt to her feet when she saw them. "IT'S THEM!" she hollered.

"They're back? THEY'RE BACK!" Fred whooped.

"Where are those kids? I'm gonna—!" Jordan stopped when he saw them.

Aunt Cass and Honey followed behind, and they gasped.

"Where's R…?" Fred started.

Hiro suddenly fell to his knees and collapsed on the ground, Tadashi falling after him. Vanellope ran forward, dropping Baymax's box and wrapped her arms around Aunt Cass, tears still streaming. Honey Lemon ran to the boys, careful not to trip over Sour Bill, and gently rolled Hiro over. "Hiro?" she whimpered.

Hiro shook with sobs and curled up on the ground, smudging his hospital gown with dirt and grass stains. He clutched Tadashi to his chest and wept into his shoulder until he blacked out.

 **hi bye**


	29. Chapter XXVIII: Confrontation

Gray skies overhead added to the weariness and gloom of that dawn. As a gentle breeze wafted by, birds called out their morning songs. None of those down below had the heart to hear them.

Diana, Jordan, Fred, Honey Lemon, and Aunt Cass had had the whole evening to grieve for the loss of their friend. And though they sat silent, teary-eyed, none of them had grieved as much as Vanellope. She sat alone in her little niches away from all other eyes and silently mourned for Ralph, sometimes crying, other times rocking on her haunches and quietly looking out over the nearby sea. She was a wreck.

Hiro hadn't found the courage to talk to her. He was unsure he knew how she felt on such a level and was afraid he may spark something he didn't want to. Since he knew he couldn't relate, he sat next to the recovering Tadashi, waiting for him to wake up.

Lolling his head, Tadashi slowly blinked his eyes open. Hiro, who had changed back into his regular clothes, hugged his knees to his chest, staring back down at him. Tadashi sat up from his bed of grass. "Hiro?"

Hiro sighed. "How are you feeling?"

"A little groggy. Slight headache, but I'm fine." Tadashi patted the grass next to him. Obligingly, Hiro scooted over. "Ralph?" Tadashi asked.

Hiro nodded.

Tadashi nodded with him and pursed his lips. "How are you taking it?"

Hiro shrugged half-heartedly. "I dunno," he let out a breath. "I just can't believe he was gone so fast." He looked down. "I didn't know him as much as Vanellope…but he was still a friend. And…now he's gone. And he's gone because of me."

"Hey." Tadashi grabbed Hiro's shoulder. "Don't say that! He's not gone because of you or Vanellope!" He sighed, "Besides. This was all my fault, right?"

"Oh, is this a blame game now?" Hiro rebutted.

"Hiro, remember, you didn't trust Ishioka in the first place, but I did. We did rock paper scissors, and I won. You said that the fate of our team would be in my hands, and I agreed. Ralph's death is on me."

Hiro blinked and decided to change the subject. "How's your head?"

Tadashi gingerly touched the bandage on his forehead and shrugged. "It's still there. A little bloody, but headwounds always are."

"Last night… when your head got hurt…I—"

"Stop," Tadashi cut him off firmly and rubbed his back. "Just stop. Let's not talk about last night."

Hiro said nothing, but instead felt Tadashi's hand rub his back with a calm rhythm. It released some of the tension in his chest. But he suddenly felt useless and stupidly idle. He quickly stood. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?"

Tadashi shook his head and patted the Hiro's spot again. "Come sit."

Hiro shook his head and shrugged, looking away. "Nah."

"As your big brother and the man of the family, I'm telling you to _sit down_."

Hiro slowly lowered himself back into his spot. "I'm fine, really."

"You need to stop blaming yourself for everything. Ralph's death, Abigail's death, Vanellope's pain, my head, everything."

"And what? Dump it all on you? Because you were the one who trusted Ishioka in the first place?"

"You made me responsible for the fate of our friends who went in there. It was my idea in the first place to trust Ishioka, so I'll have to deal with the consequences of it."

Hiro said nothing. The _consequences_ played over in his head. Bullet after bullet ripping through Ralph's body, blood dripping. And then he had collapsed…the door after him. He rubbed his eyes with his palms. "I don't like thinking about it, but I can't get it out of my head. I keep telling myself that it was nobody's fault he died, but then I'm like, 'there's _got_ to be somebody to blame for something like that.' And then the first person I think of is me."

"Hiro, stop. You think Vanellope and I don't feel the same way as you? She probably even more so. He was her _best_ friend. How would you feel to lose _your_ best friend?"

"Last night, _I thought I did_ ," Hiro snapped. "When you shielded me and Vanellope from that bullet…I…thought you were gone." His voice tried to stay angry and snappish, but his tone betrayed him.

Eyes widening in realization, Tadashi turned to look down at Hiro. For years, he knew that he was the closest person in the world that Hiro knew. But as his 'nagging, annoying, bossy' big brother, hearing the words—not even straight from his lips, just implied—sparked an ache in his chest. He pulled Hiro into a side hug and rubbed his back some more.

( 0—0 )

There were few thoughts running through Vanellope's head, other than the fact that her best buddie was dead. She knew she'd had her break down last night, but sometimes, she couldn't grasp the thought. He'd never give her a piggy-back ride again. He'd never give her a top shelf. He wouldn't grow old. He wouldn't get married and she wouldn't be able to play with his kids. He wouldn't be able to see the end of the Cybugs, and he'd never be able to smile. He'd never cry, yell, laugh, joke, nothing. He was dead. Imagining a future without Ralph was nigh impossible. She couldn't do it. He was so deeply ensconced into her life that there was a giant gap where he was supposed to be. One too big to fill. Her fingers gently rubbed the pink ribbon of Ralph's bake-clay medallion. She read the glittery words to herself over and over. _To stink brain…you're my hero._ She felt tears well in her eyes.

A distant bird cry filled the air. She looked up after her many hours of staring at the medallion to see the creature. A small pigeon cocked its head at her and gently cooed. She gazed back at it, waiting for it to fly away. It didn't. Instead, it fluttered off its tree branch and settled itself near her perch on a rock. It waddled closer, cocking its head and warbling.

"You're pretty lucky," she said absentmindedly to it, tucking the medallion into her hoodie pocket. "Your life's pretty simple. Not much to it, huh?"

The pigeon looked at her and cooed.

"That's the dumbest thing I've seen you do."

Vanellope jumped and gasped, whirling around.

Sour Bill trundled up to her and shoed the bird away. It only squawked at him at first, but then finally flew away. "The bird can't understand you."

"Idiot, I _know_ that!" Vanellope snapped at the thing as it came and sat beside her. "I have a _brain_ , you know _._ " She hit him over the head the way she'd seen Abigail do. She drew her legs closer to herself. "What are you, anyway?" she asked.

"I'm the Self-efficient Orderly Utility Robot," Sour Bill sniffed proudly. "But Abigail called me 'Bill.' Then she stared to call me _Sour_ Bill," he grumbled.

"I can see why." Vanellope licked her teeth, now annoyed that her private moment had been rudely interrupted.

"The others are worried about you back there." Sour Bill jerked a thumb behind him. "You've been up here for a while."

Vanellope looked back over the horizon. "I don't want to be down there," she said, her lip trembling. Slowly, she glanced back at their camp, small from her view on top one of the humongous rocks lying around the island. She was glad for the trees bending over her. "If you want to bring a message back to them, tell them I want to be alone. Maybe you can do _one_ useful thing."

Sour Bill, unfazed by her harsh comment, wiggled his toes with a sigh. "Ah, oh well. Your big friend's gone. What a shame."

Suddenly, he let out a loud scream as Vanellope slapped him over the edge of the rock. The robot only managed to snag his foot on a tree branch to stop him from tumbling down to the ground below. Vanellope stood up and glowered down at him. Sour Bill's moans led into sobs. "I'm sorry!" he cried pitifully. "I didn't mean to make you mad! I was just trying to be nice! I don't know why I was trying to be nice, anyway. I've tried being nice before. It was horrible."

Vanellope scrunched up her face, fed up with this little ball of bile. She let out a frustrated cry before sitting down again, tossing her head disdainfully. "You just hang there, for all I care," she spat, trying to hide tears of anger.

Sour Bill sighed. "For someone so young, you seem awfully bitter."

Vanellope cocked her head and glanced at him sideways. "Look who's talking. At least my name doesn't begin with 'sour.' Did your creators make you this grumpy?"

"I don't know. It's hard to think when you're dangling ten feet off the ground." Sour Bill shot a worried look beneath him.

"Mm. I can imagine."

Sour Bill glared up at her. "Is that all you're going to say?"

With a skyward glance, Vanellope knelt down and pulled Sour Bill's branch backward until it doubled over her rock. Sour Bill dropped from the branch just a second before Vanellope let it go, threatening to slap him far into the trees. "I was half hoping you'd let go too late and…" Vanellope mimed Sour Bill flying past her head.

Sour Bill planted his little hands on where his hips were supposed to be. "I thought you'd at least be a _rather pleasant_ girl, but I suppose not! If you will _excuse_ me—unless you don't know what that word means—I will be going." With that, the little robot waddled away grumpily.

Vanellope watch him go. "Sayonara, sucker—" She stopped before realizing that that was something Ralph would've said. She grew nostalgic over his memory and turned once more to the horizon. She could see the hills where the grass and sand bled into each other until beach became forest. Beyond those hills were the sea. Somewhere. She felt a breeze waft through her hair. A small gust of sand billowed near the hills. The cloud floated higher into the breeze. For some reason, it was cutting straight through the direction of the wind. Was the wind wrong? Vanellope quickly licked her finger and stuck it in the air. No. It wasn't. The trees were swaying in the right direction. What was making that dust. She leaned out farther over the rock, peering into the distance. Finally, a small speck of yellow appeared, leading the fumes of sand. Whatever it was, it was moving fast. Very fast.

Eyes widening, Vanellope turned down the rock, jumped from it to the ground, and raced back to camp. Heart beating in her chest, she tripped over shrubbery. She just picked herself back and ran harder. "GUYS!" she yelled. "GUUUYS!" As she rocketed into their small valley, the others looked at her, bewildered. Baymax looked up from his work, Hiro and Tadashi turned around, and everyone else waited for an explanation.

"I suppose _now_ , you're going to give me an apology," Sour Bill snapped.

"Vanellope! Girl, calm down!" Diana held out her arms. "What is it?"

"Guys, she's coming!" Vanellope panted.

"Who?"

"SHE'S COMING!" Vanellope yelled. "She's coming fast!"

" _Who_?" Diana said firmly.

Vanellope took in a gulp of air. "GoGo."

A sudden tension filled their small camp as they all rose to their feet in alarm. Diana straightened with a look of aggravation, but not surprise. "Alright guys!" she called. Everyone stopped to hear her. "GoGo's coming and my guess is she's not happy. And when she's not happy, she gets violent, so prepare for the worst. Get the guns and ammo and stand at the top of the camp rise! Move! Go!" She waved them on. "Vanellope!" The girl looked up just as Di placed something in her hand. "This contains all the data and info we gathered at Ishioka's. Don't let GoGo have it. Keep it in your sock, 'kay?"

Vanellope nodded.

Di clasped her shoulder. "Then let's get moving.

( 0—0 )

Vanellope let out a breath, rifle in hand. With Honey, Fred, and Cass behind, her friends had lined up on the high rim of their valley, while GoGo, Wasabi, Calhoun, Andy, Francis, Taffyta, and Cadence were lined with a 40-foot gap between them. Her sister supported a sleek, yellow bike by her side. Vanellope had seen that bike before. Just rarely.

" _So who's the leader_?" GoGo called over, cupping her hand to her mouth.

Diana opened her mouth to speak when Hiro stepped forward. "That would be me," he called back, oblivious to Tadashi's nervous body language.

"Is Vanellope safe?" GoGo called.

"She is."

There was silence for a few seconds. "You got what you left for?"

"We did."

"So you're ready to come home?"

Hiro nodded. "Yeah."

GoGo regarded him. "I see all your guns."

"And we see yours," Hiro replied.

GoGo nodded. "It's more than clear that we don't trust each other. If we want to negotiate, both of us are going to have to drop the firearms."

Hiro looked at all of them before nodding. "We will if you do. Since you've been the one to make the hostile moves, it's only fair you start first."

GoGo lowered an arm. The others by her side laid their guns on the ground and took a step back. Hiro nodded, and their team grudgingly did the same. GoGo nodded in satisfaction. "With the weapons out of the way, let's talk face to face."

"In the middle," Hiro clarified.

GoGo held out her arms obligingly. "In the middle," she agreed and started to walk forward as Hiro cast a glance back at the others.

Diana gave him a sideways glance. "Watch your back. Don't trust her."

"Hiro, let me do it," Tadashi protested.

"No." Hiro shook his head.

"Hiro, listen to your brother," Cass argued.

"I brought us all out here. I'm the leader, so…I'll deal with the consequences." With that, he turned and walked out to meet GoGo.

Tadashi sucked in a nervous breath, hearing his own words. "Oh my gosh," he breathed softly. "He's doing it."

When Hiro and GoGo had met in the middle, they stood for a while. Vanellope could hear their murmuring voices drift over the gap. Hiro crossed his arms and GoGo's voice raised. After that, her tone dropped, and they sounded more like they were chatting. The conversation went on for a little while. Raising an eyebrow, Vanellope glanced over at Diana. "Do you think it's going okay?"

Diana let out a grunt and crossed her arms. "I can't hear what they're saying," she muttered.

Suddenly, there was a sharp, echoing cry of pain as Hiro's arm was twisted behind his back, landing him face-first on the ground. GoGo crouched on top of him and pulled out a small pistol from inside her jacket, holding it to Hiro's head.

"HIRO!" Tadashi yelled.

"Alright, LISTEN UP!" GoGo roared from where she was. "IF YOU WANT THE BOY BACK WITHOUT A HOLE IN HIS HEAD, COME UP HERE ON YOUR KNEES WITH YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEADS!"

"Don't do it!" Hiro called, resisting before GoGo twisted his arm farther.

"Tadashi—!" Cass tried to grab his arm, but Tadashi was already walking forward with his hands on his head. When he stopped in front of GoGo, he quickly kneeled.

"Tadashi, you _idiot_ , don't!" Hiro protested.

One by one, all of Hiro's team was finally kneeling with their hands high. Vanellope finally slid into position and raised her arms, the last one. Her heart sank.

GoGo smiled. "That's it."

"Nobody move!" Calhoun and Andy shouted as they raised their guns. Without a word, Wasabi raised his gun slowly and joined them, herding them all back to their camp. When GoGo nodded, her team came down and held their hands behind their backs, tying them with cords. Francis gently took Vanellope's hands. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Not her," GoGo said. "Leave her be, Francis."

Francis ducked his head and quickly started to tie up Fred.

"I have some concerns," Baymax observed GoGo's team.

GoGo pulled out Baymax's red box before grabbing Hiro's elbow and pulling him up. She held her gun to his head. "Step into the box, robot."

Baymax evaluated the situation. "I do not wish for anyone to be hurt." He blinked. "Please do not hurt Hiro and I will step into my charger."

"There we go." GoGo grinned. "Nice and quiet like," she said as the robot stepped into his box and deflated, the lid closing over his head.

Calhoun bound Diana's hands and pulled her roughly straight. Diana grit her teeth. "You don't know what you're dealing with," she seethed. "This is your mistake." Calhoun ground her fist into Diana's back. With a cry of pain, Diana fell silent.

Jordan smoldered as Wasabi tied up his hands. "You touch her again—"

"Boy, quiet," Diana cut him off.

GoGo walked down into the camp and took Vanellope by the shoulder. "Come on," she muttered, driving Vanellope with her to the far corner of their camp. "You have got some serious issues." GoGo tightened her grip.

"Let _go_ of me," Vanellope muttered, seething with the pain in her shoulder.

"You don't tell me what to do." GoGo roughly slung Vanellope in front of her. "So. How did it go? Did you save humanity? Found information to defeat the Cybugs?"

Vanellope nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. I mean, we haven't saved humanity _yet_ , but you know what I mean."

Straightening, GoGo let out a breath. It wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. "I see." She nodded. "Where is it?"

"I'm not telling you, _you_ creep!" Vanellope spat.

"You all are coming back with me." GoGo ignored her comment. "And I'll find your info, wherever it is."

"You don't even know what you're looking for. And what would you do with it, anyway?"

"You _are_ coming back with me, and I will get you to break by whatever means necessary. And don't even _think_ —!" GoGo stopped. "Wait. Where's Ralph?" she asked quickly.

Vanellope remained silent. Drawing in a slow breath, she looked down. "He's dead. He died saving Hiro and me."

An empty silence resonated between the sisters as GoGo stared. She shook her head. "He…he what?"

"I said he's _dead_ ," Vanellope spat and sniffed. "He was shot last night."

GoGo turned and let out a growl, taking in a deep breath before facing Vanellope. "You see?" She held out an arm. "You see what he's done? Hiro is drawing you into these dangers! _Vanellope_! Where are your eyes?! He dragged you all on this escapade and he's getting you killed! He's so blind with ambition that he can't see what he's led you guys into!"

Vanellope looked away. "He didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"Oh. Oh, I'm sure he never _intended_ to get everybody hurt, but he doesn't care enough to look behind him and see that you all are dying—"

"It's not HIS fault that Ralph died!" Vanellope yelled. "It was Ralph's _own_ choice! _He_ was the one who made the decision! DON'T accuse Hiro for things he didn't do!"

"I am so ANGRY _at you_ for feebly following this guy into a death trap that I don't even know what to do with you!" GoGo yelled. "Ralph's death was in vain!"

Vanellope shook her head. "We did what we came out here to do, me and Hiro aren't dead, we got the info. Ralph's death was _not_ in vain. I don't see why you _are_ mad."

A wicked grin crept onto GoGo's lips. "Fine." She straightened and marched Vanellope back to the camp. Standing around her tied up friends, Andy, Wasabi, and Calhoun turned when they saw her. GoGo stopped. "Alright. Francis, Andy, start setting up camp. We're gonna stay with our _friends_ here tonight. Taffyta, Cadence, start unloading the jeep. Calhoun, Wasabi, watch the others." Then she turned to Sour Bill. "What's that?"

The voice inside Vanellope head that told her she didn't like Sour Bill was silenced as she defensively scooped up the robot. "He's…something we picked up along the way. He's not dangerous. Just let me keep him."

"What about Vanellope?" Calhoun asked.

GoGo looked down at her sister. "She can wander around. She's not going anywhere and she can't do any damage. Just…you know. Keep an eye on her." With that, GoGo let Vanellope go.

Vanellope stumbled forward a few feet, rubbing her shoulder, ignoring the way Sour Bill's feet and hands squirmed. Turning to watch GoGo supervise Andy and Francis setting up camp, she let out a breath and looked back at her friends. Aunt Cass, tied up, huddled against her nephews, looked around worriedly.

Poor sweet Aunt Cass. Why was she even tied up? She hadn't done anything. Vanellope blinked. Quickly, she ran over to Cadence and Taffyta. "Guys," she said under her breath.

Taffyta turned and sniffed. "We're not supposed to _talk_ to you. You know, you should be over _there_." Taffyta pointed at her friends. "With your little _chums_."

"What is it?" Cadence asked.

Vanellope let out a breath. " _You know the choker knives?_ " she hissed.

"Say what? I didn't catch it," Taffyta said quickly.

Cadence gave her a glare. "I thought you didn't want to be talking to her."

Realizing her point, Taffyta picked herself up and left. "You can unload by yourself, then," she called over her shoulder.

Cadence sighed and shook her head. "What about the choker knives?"

"I need one."

"For what?"

"Eeeeeh, can't tell you that."

"And why not?"

Vanellope let out a breath. "If GoGo asks questions, I want you to say that you don't know anything honestly."

Cadence nodded. "They're in the bag over there."

"And turn around, so you can say you saw nothing, too."

Cadence couldn't help but smile. "At least you haven't changed."

( 0—0 )

By dusk, GoGo's tents had been set up, and Vanellope's friends had been herded into their own huddle. Hiro shivered, casting a glance to Baymax's red box in the corner, wistful for his friend's heating mode. "I'm sorry, guys," he apologized with a remorseful breath. "It's my fault we're here. I…I wasn't on my guard when I was negotiating…"

"It's okay, Hiro," Honey assured. "We're human. We don't hate you, okay?"

Hiro sighed, unconvinced. "I was being a jerk. She was getting to my head again. I go to meet her head on, and then I get suckered with a gun to my head."

"GoGo's unpredictable, as well as nifty. She'll find some way to get you like that," Diana mumbled.

"How did she _find_ us?" Fred wondered aloud. "It's like she has intuitive mind powers that track us down."

"Did she find a boat? I wonder," Jordan griped.

"She did," Francis answered from his perch on a rock nearby, watching them. "Parked it near the island and covered it with branches."

"No kidding!" Jordan exclaimed. "Rowboat?" he asked sarcastically.

"Nah. Ship."

"Seriously."

"Okay, motor."

"How can you joke at a time like this?" Honey Lemon reprimanded the boys. "I don't understand you two."

"It keeps your mind off the bad things," Francis offered.

Aunt Cass squirmed in her position.

"You okay? You've been moving around this whole time," Vanellope asked, deciding to stay with her friends.

Cass only shook her head and groaned. "It's just…that…that thing you gave me. It's so uncomfortable. I feel like I'm going to poke myself."

"From experience, you only poke yourself if you move around too much," Di chuckled dryly.

"Wasabi's coming," Honey Lemon said hurriedly.

The group fell silent as the man towered over them. "Hiro?" he asked.

Hiro sighed. "You found him."

"GoGo wants to see you."

Fred pursed his lips. "That doesn't sound good. Is everything okay, dude?"

Wasabi only shook his head, grabbing Hiro by the elbow and helping the boy to his feet. Tadashi watched him go silently. Wasabi gently escorted Hiro to the large tent, which glowed with light in the dimming sky. "She seems to be in a fairly pleasant mood, but watch your step. She could get angry."

"Thanks," Hiro said before entering the tent.

GoGo turned as he entered. "Ah, and there he is. The rat." She smiled.

Hiro returned it. "I've been called worse things, you know."

GoGo laughed. "Yeah. But you're not worth my time to find a better insult." She nodded. "Cut his binds."

Wasabi quickly untied the cord around Hiro's wrists and nudged him forward. Hiro rubbed his hands, flexing his arms before standing in front of GoGo. "Wanted to see me?" he gulped, trying to keep his cool.

GoGo shrugged off her jacket and threw it aside. "So I can make myself feel better. After all the misery you've caused me, and trouble, and anger, and all those other negative emotions we feel, you're gonna get what's due you." She turned. "Wasabi. Watch the door. Don't let anyone in."

As Wasabi slowly left the tent, Hiro watched him go. "Wait, what's go—"

Before he could finish his sentence, GoGo's fist hit him hard in the cheek. He yelled and stumbled back, feeling his face grow warm and wet. A rough hand grabbed his shoulder and shoved him to his knees. A shoe booted him in the face and more blood flowed. Hiro screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU—!?"

GoGo kicked him in the stomach. Hiro let out a gut-wrenching cry mixed with a moan as he fell to the floor, clutching his middle. He breathed heavily, pain flaring in his chest with every breath he took. GoGo stood over him, watching him tremble. "How is that? Too much?" she asked.

With all the defiance he could muster, Hiro snarled. " _Bring it on_."

"Ah good." GoGo took a few steps back. "'Cuz this is only a taste of what you're gonna get."

( 0—0 )

"Hiro!" Aunt Cass gasped. "That's Hiro! What is she doing to him?!"

Francis turned his head toward the tent, where horrific cries and sopping coughs erupted. He winced and stood up. "Wasabi! What is she doing in there!"

Wasabi stopped him from entering, placing a hand on the boy's chest. "You don't want to go in there," he said quickly.

Francis fell back onto his rock. "What? Why?"

Cadence and Taffyta scrambled out of the back of the jeep. "Who is that?" Cadence asked quickly.

"He sounds like he's dying," Taffyta whimpered.

"Girls, you get back in that car," Wasabi said sternly.

"Not until you tell—"

"Get _back_ in the car!" Wasabi repeated.

Cadence quickly crawled into the car with Taffyta scurrying on her heels.

Tadashi stood. "Wasabi, move."

The man took a breath. "Tadashi, don't—"

Tadashi didn't wait and pushed past him, bursting into the tent.

With Andy and Calhoun watching on, GoGo viciously kicked a body on the floor that was nigh unrecognizable due to the masses of blood. With each kick, the figure let out a terrifying cry that raised the hair on Tadashi's neck. He knew that cry. He'd know it anywhere. Hiro was curled up in a ball, arms clenched over his head as GoGo kicked on and on. His black hair was everywhere and his face was smeared in dark red.

Wasabi burst into the tent and grabbed Tadashi, trying to force him out of the tent. "Tadashi! Move!"

"NO! NO! HIRO!" Tadashi fought Wasabi, though his arms were still tied.

Splatters of red dotted GoGo's clothes, but she couldn't see past her own fury. Her leg moved on its own, and she didn't care. She wanted to see Hiro writhe. How many times she had seen this in dreams. Now her dreams were reality. She felt an arm on her shoulder and whirled around to see Calhoun. "GoGo, that's enough. Look at him," she protested.

GoGo shook her arm off. "Not yet." She kicked again, Hiro cries becoming weaker and weaker until they were no more that gurgling moans. He didn't try to fight or shield himself. He lay, limp, victim to GoGo's brutal onslaught, and oblivious to Tadashi sobbing protests in the background.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" he screamed. "STOPPIT! DON'T! PLEASE! _PLEASE_!"

Calhoun finally grabbed GoGo's shoulders and pulled her back. "GOGO! Stop! That's enough!"

Breathing heavily, GoGo looked down at her work. She shrugged Calhoun's arms off again and straightened. "I hope you die," she said down to the bloody mass, which only moaned and curled up tighter.

Seeing that GoGo was done, Wasabi cut through Tadashi's bound with his knife and let him go. Tadashi flew past him to his brother's side and gently turned him over into his lap. "HIRO! Hiro! Hiro. Hey. Hey, Hiro, look at me." Hiro whimpered and flinched in pain as Tadashi caressed his bloody face.

"T…T-Ta…Tadashi?" Hiro wheezed.

"It's okay," Tadashi shushed him quickly. "I'm right here. Save your strength, okay?" He straightened again. "I need help! I need Baymax! And Honey! Get them in here!"

Without seeing if GoGo approved, Wasabi fled the tent and returned with Honey, who held Baymax's red box in her arms. She gasped when she saw them, running to their side. "Oh my gosh! Hiro! Hiro!" she sobbed, holding a hand to her mouth. With nothing else said, the three worked quickly.

With Baymax activated, they carefully treated Hiro's wounds and wiped the blood away. Most of it was the blood from his headwounds. The rest were major bruises to his chest and gut.

"Is…i-i-is it…bad?" Hiro asked as Baymax wrapped his legs with gauze wrap from the compartment in his foot. Honey Lemon looked to Tadashi to answer.

He brushed Hiro's hair out of his face, wiping it with a cloth. "Hiro…just save your strength," he said and shot him a sad smile. It was hard to smile about anything right now. Except for the fact that Hiro wasn't dead. Yet, anyways.

GoGo pulled Honey Lemon away and shoved Baymax off. "Alright. You guys are done."

"GoGo!" Honey Lemon scolded. "We're not done yet!"

"You're lucky you got to treat him at all! Now get out!"

"We're not _leaving_ , GoGo!" Honey said defiantly, her blonde hair messy and in her face. "Not until Hiro's treated!"

GoGo muttered darkly and wrenched the girl aside. "GeddOUT!"

Honey Lemon shrieked as she stumbled to the tent entrance. Baymax held up a hand. "If Hiro is not given the proper treatment, he could lose large, unhealthy amounts of blood. Stopping us in the middle of our work is not recommended—"

GoGo shoved him back. "Shut it. Your turn, Hamada, _out_." She reached to grab Tadashi's shoulder, but he turned and hit her hand away, staring up at her with a glare. " _Don't…touch him, or I'll kill you._ " He stood up slowly, holding Hiro in his arms. "I'm _going_."

Joining Honey and Baymax, they stepped outside the tent, and Andy, Wasabi, GoGo, and Calhoun followed. The others gasped when they saw Hiro. "HIRO!" Aunt Cass called out, agonized at the sight of her nephew in such a state. "Tadashi?"

"He's alive," Tadashi called over quietly. "He's alive."

"Tie them up," GoGo ordered.

The group was forced to their feet and marched out away from their camp. Taffyta stood by an arc of tall poles in the ground. She struck a pose. "All done, GoGo! Right when you asked! And I came up with the design myself."

Cadence sighed reluctantly.

GoGo looked it over. "Why is one pole in the middle?" She pointed to a lone pole inside and close to the center pole of the arc.

"Oh, that one. Hah, that one's for Hiro," she smirked. "So he's in the middle of the arc and they can't…ah, you know."

GoGo nodded. "Okay, thanks. Now move." She shoved Taffyta out of the way and held out long coils of cord. "Okay. Let's move. Get them tied up before nightfall."

Wasabi gingerly reached for Hiro, but Tadashi recoiled. "No."

Wasabi bit his lip. "I'll be careful with him. I promise."

Tadashi searched the man's face, before deciding he was sincere. "Please. Don't be rough with him," he asked.

Wasabi nodded before gently setting Hiro on the ground in front of the middle pole. "Hand's behind your back, Hiro."

With a moan, Hiro stuck his bloody wrists behind him, and let Wasabi tie them around the pole. "Wasabi…" he started. "Could I have a drink of water?"

Wasabi nodded and left for a canteen, but GoGo stopped him, stepping in front of him. "Get back to work," she demanded.

Wasabi ducked and returned to Hiro. "Sorry. Sit up on your legs, so they're tucked under—yeah. Like that." Wasabi then bound Hiro's legs behind the pole and stood up. "I'm sorry. For all of this."

Hiro lolled his head to look up at Wasabi, but said nothing. His look pained Wasabi and heaped so much guilt onto his shoulders that he quickly left. Cadence, sobbing buried her head in Francis's shoulder, and he hugged her close.

"Not her," GoGo started.

Calhoun looked up, gripping Diana by the elbow. "GoGo—"

"I said not her," GoGo repeated. "She's coming back with me and my sister, so don't tie her up. Keep her with Vanellope.

With a grunt, Calhoun released Diana, who shot a look at GoGo before running to Vanellope's side, hugging the girl's shoulders.

"What about me, GoGo?" Jordan asked as Andy tied his hands.

"You were just another shooter," GoGo replied.

Jordan wore an offended look. "Well then," he sniffed and looked away. "I appear to be worthless, eh?"

When the group was finally tied up, Tadashi and Hiro ended up back to back, and none of the others could see him. Vanellope finally emerged from the gloom behind the crowd and looked her friends over. Aunt Cass looked up at her and nodded. "We don't hold this against you, sweetie."

Vanellope nodded and sniffed, trying not to cry. "I'm sorry." Then she turned and ran.

( 0—0 )

That morning, GoGo's group tore down camp and packed. The others, who had spent the night outside, could only watch as GoGo forced Diana and Vanellope into the car. When everything was ready to go, GoGo stuck the key into the ignition and the car rumbled to life. Tadashi let out a breath, preparing himself to watch their last bit of hope drive off. To his surprise, the trunk window slowly creaked open and Diana poked her head out, holding a finger to her lips. Heart pounding, Tadashi watched as she carefully dropped two canteens of water, a packet of food, a cruiser, two guns, and a knife from the trunk. " _Jordan_ ," she hissed.

Jordan looked up to see her. He raised his eyebrows.

" _Stay strong_ ," she whispered. " _All of you_." Once again, she pressed a finger to her lips and closed the trunk window just as the jeep sped off, leaving dusty billows of sand. The items she had left behind were not imaginary. They were still there when the dust cleared.

Maybe there was a sliver of hope left.

 **I seem to be making yall wait a lot, lately. My apologies.**

 **I saw the review posted by xPrettyLittleThing, btw**

 **I was truly ecstatic to hear that you've been binging my fic for the past several days! Your comment was BRIMMING with words a writer loves to hear. But it also broke my heart when you asked me to continue. Why?**

 **I was actually planning to drop this fic. My life is becoming busier with commissions, school, and social life. In an effort to free up more time to pursue my personal activities (including several original stories (with original characters (ooooh exciting))), I cut fanfics from my plate. I've been falling out of love with BH6 (mostly thanks to the series) and I was falling out of tune with the characters in my story. I was gonna let this fic rest on the last chapter, with an 'author's note' explain [basically all of this that I'm telling you right now] and to at least tell you what I had in mind for the ending.**

 **However, the word you used:** ** _begging_** **. I've never had anyone** ** _beg_** **me for anything, really. I've never found someone so truly excited about my story to** ** _beg_** **me to continue (I ever lost three out of my four proof readers). It really hit something in my heart, not to be sappy.**

 **I'm extremely close to the end of the entire story. However, whether or not I will reach it, I cannot tell you. Your comment really makes me want to finish, though. And so, I leave you with this:** ** _I will try whenever I can find time to complete Hiro's Duty. It may takes months, maybe even a year (or years, :[ oof I hope not), but I will try._**

 **Thank you for telling me your thoughts. I may have abandoned this fic if you hadn't told me. Also, thank you to all my other readers, silent or not. Every review I've received is a positive one, and it makes me really happy. Thanks for sticking with me. Until the next update!**

 **~ kiwii-chan**


	30. Chapter XXIX: Riding Rails

"Aunt Cass, how are you doing?" Tadashi asked.

Grunting, Aunt Cass let out an exasperated breath. "I can't _reach_ it! I can't reach it!" She let out a frustrated growl. "I've been trying all morning, but I can't! How do they work anyway?"

Jordan sighed. "Choker knives. They were actually supposed to be worn around the neck so the knife would be down the back of your neck, but in this case…I dunno." He shifted. "I can't feel my wrists."

Honey looked over at him the best she could. "Is the blood circulation cut off?" she asked.

Jordan shrugged and hung his head. "I don't even know, man."

"What am I feeling for, Jordan?" Cass asked again.

He gulped, his throat parched. "There's a knife in a sheath around the band. It'll be pointing downward. If Vanellope gave you a size small, it'll be the size of your pinky finger."

With a heavy breath, Cass tested the flexibility of her wrists and tried as hard as she could to grab the little finger loop of the knife. She could feel it. The stretchy band around her waist and a smooth, plastic sheath pointing straight down her spine. But she just couldn't reach it.

Tadashi looked over at the supplies that still sat where Diana had left them. They seemed to taunt them, just out of reach. "I could use some of that water right now." He licked his cracked lips.

Honey Lemon looked to her left, where Jordan said nothing, drooping under the hot sun. To her right, Fred panted heavily and squirmed. She sighed. "How are you doing, Freddy?"

Fred looked over at her and puffed out his chest. "Just fine, Honey," he panted. "As soon as…Aunt Cass gets the…knife…and cuts us…out…I'll be ready and rearing…to go."

Honey gave him a sympathetic look, both of them knowing he was lying. "We'll get out soon," she reassured him.

Tadashi threw his head back and let out a long groan. "My throat is literally ripped." He breathed heavily. "Hiro…? You still there?"

There was no reply, except for a small grunt.

"You okay?"

There was a dry cough. "Well that's a…" Hiro coughed again, "… _dumb_ question to ask!" he yelled, voice hoarse.

Tadashi wriggled his wrists a bit until he felt Hiro's dry finger laying limp next to his. He entwined them slowly, gripping his brother's sweaty hand. After a few silent moments, the sweaty hand slowly squeezed back.

"AAAAH!" Cass gave a relieved cry. "I have it!"

"YeAAah!" Fred said, finding some joy in their situation. "Now cut the ropes! Quick, quick, quick!"

"I'm trying!" she protested, trying to fit the handle of the knife into the palm of her hand. When she had achieved this, she carefully started to saw through the ropes. "It's hardly cutting!"

"Just keep going!" Honey encouraged her.

As Cass pressed on, Tadashi tilted his head back to the sky, squinting his eyes at the bright sun. "Hiro? You heard that? We'll be out soon."

There was no reply.

The excitement of Cass's success died down as the hours wore away. She still had not cut the rope. "Is the knife dull or something?" Fred asked.

"Maybe?" Honey offered. "But it'll cut soon enough, right?"

Cass let out a tired breath. "I don't know," she said as her hand slowed. "It's killing my hand. I—" she gasped as the ropes suddenly fell away from her raw wrists. In a startled second of silence, she flexed her arms to make sure her freedom was not a dream. "I'm OUT!" she exclaimed.

Fred hooted. "Go Ms. Aunt Cass! Go Ms. Aunt Cass!" he cheered.

"Cut us out!" Honey spurred her on.

"Okay! Okay! Let me cut my feet out first!" Cass quickly sliced through the cord around her ankles, now able to see her work, before dashing over the pile of supplies Diana had left. She handed the choker knife to Fred and quickly cut Honey Lemon free. Then she came to Tadashi. "Here we go, sweetie, hold still." She cut through her nephew's bonds. Quickly, Tadashi sprang up out of his kneeling position and circled around to Hiro. "Is he okay?" Cass peeped.

"Hiro?" Tadashi held his brother's lolling head in his hands. "Hey."

Hiro gave a low, parched groan before gently fluttering his eyes open and looking up. His face was still stained with smears of blood from last night. Bruises spotted his forehead. "Uh?"

"Hey." Tadashi tried to smile. "Hold still. Aunt Cass is gonna cut you out."

Honey crept over to Jordan, sitting on her heels and gently slapping his cheek. "Jordan? Jordan. Jor _dan_!" The boy's head only lolled. "I think he's passed out!" she shrieked, gripping her blonde hair in her clenched fists. Fred, who had finally cut himself out, handed the knife to Honey and she cut Jordan's limp body free from his pole, where he slumped forward into Honey's arms. Looking around frantically after she had laid Jordan on the ground, she grabbed one of the water canteens, wetting her fingers and flicking them onto Jordan's flushed face. "Jordan?"

With low guttural moans, Jordan shook his head and fluttered his eyes. "Umah? Betsy?"

"Uh, no. Sorry, no. It's Honey Lemon. You passed out?"

"Mm, wha?"

"Here, can you sit up?" Honey said and carefully propped Jordan up. "Take a drink," she said and offered the canteen. "Careful. We need to ration it."

Once Cass had finished cutting Hiro loose, he flopped into Tadashi's arms like a deflated blowup, devoid of energy. Carefully, Tadashi rocked Hiro back and forth, gently slapping his cheek to wake him up. "Here we go. Come on. Come on."

Hiro's head finally cleared and he looked up at Tadashi with tired eyes. "Is there water?" he asked.

"It's coming around," Tadashi said. "I'm going to get Baymax, okay?"

Once they had been cut free and taken a small drink, they stood up, gathered their supplies, and surveyed the landscape. "The shore's not too far away," Fred observed. "We could find our boat. I bet GoGo didn't get to it."

Tadashi nodded, offering to carry the supplies. "We should go now. Make it to the mainland before dusk."

"If you wish to cross to the mainland before dusk, I suggest we proceed with haste," Baymax said, cradling Hiro in his arms. "However, it may be difficult for those who have been deprived of hydration." He looked over at Jordan.

"No way, man. I can do this," Jordan sighed and waved a fist.

There weren't many words said when what was left of their group recovered their hidden boat. Supplies, robot, and weary trekkers climbed in and with a few tugs to the motor, they were speeding across the water. Cold wind whipped past them, but none of them took notice. They only wanted to get back to the mainland. Hiro stirred to watch the pale gray sky speed above his head. He blinked, content to focus on the clouds whizz by instead of the throbbing pain in his head. The memories of GoGo's burst of outrage still lingered in his mind, though clouds were hardly a worthy distraction.

When the boat finally hit the gravely shore of the mainland, they got out slowly and made a slow walk to the car, right where they had hidden it. Everything was as they had left it. The keys were still in the hole they'd dug underneath the front right tire, and everything they hadn't taken was still locked up inside, safe.

"I feel like half the car is empty," Fred said mournfully as he climbed into his respectful place in the trunk.

"That's because half of it _is_ empty," Jordan snapped before feeling the cracking pain in his throat. "Di was usually at the wheel."

"I remember," Tadashi nodded in memory. There was silence as they realized that their driver and the original owner of the car were no longer among them. "I'll drive," Tadashi finally said, sliding into the front seat.

"Oh no," Baymax stated from the door of the suburban, where he had attempted to squeeze in. His lower half was still stuck outside. "My judgement of the size of this door was poor. Please excuse me while I let out some air—"

"No, no!" Aunt Cass exclaimed, aware of what was going to happen next. "I'm sure we can squeeze you in! I'll just push!" Placing her hands against the vinyl form of the robot, she let out grunts, squirming to push Baymax into the car. After the squeaking and rubbery stretching noises had subsided, she had finally managed to fit Baymax into the car.

"Thank you," he said. "I am now prepared to receive Hiro."

Honey, who had been supporting Hiro, helped him step into the car, making sure he didn't lose his footing. Groaning, Hiro fell back into the seat next to Baymax, wrapping his arms around Baymax's arm and leaning against him completely. He let out a sigh closed his eyes.

Tadashi turned around in his seat to see that the others had made it inside, before revving up the car and setting off.

( 0—0 )

"We need to stop soon," Tadashi announced. "It's getting dark out."

"Agreed," Jordan mumbled.

Tadashi pulled the suburban to a stop before turning it off. "Let's not risk the ruins. We're in no shape to take on any bugs tonight."

"Also agreed," Jordan added.

"Are we just sleeping in the car?" Fred asked.

"I guess so." Cass looked out the window and shivered. "It just seems so strange to be sleeping out in the wilderness."

"If it makes you feel any better Aunt Cass, I'll be standing watch tonight." Tadashi placed a hand on her shoulder.

"For what?" Hiro griped. "We're too far from the ruins for Cybugs and GoGo's not hunting us anymore. What else are we supposed to look out for?"

"Maybe other gangs?" Honey suggested.

"Couldn't we go to them and ask for help?" Aunt Cass asked.

Jordan shook his head. "They're not friendly. Especially not to Blacks like us, I mean, us having the water filter."

Hiro grunted in accord.

"So what's for dinner?" Fred changed the subject.

"Well, let's take a look at what Di left us." Honey pulled the food pack into her lap and opened it up, sticking her arm inside to fish around. "We have…MREs, some dried fruit…three sandwiches…and a cup of soup."

"MREs. Mmm." Tadashi rubbed his stomach sarcastically. "Tasty."

"Tadashi, look on the bright side. At least we _have_ food," Honey scolded. "This isn't the time to go complaining. If you don't want any, you can just say so."

Tadashi blinked, caught off-guard by Honey's remark. "S…sorry. You're right," he admitted quickly, ducking his head.

In the back seat, Hiro gave a dry chuckle. "Heh, heh."

Even though Hiro's condition was the worst out of all of theirs, when it came to love taunts, courtesy was nullified. Tadashi shot his brother a withering look, but Hiro was still undaunted. With a disgusted sigh, Tadashi left him alone.

That night, each of them were given half a sandwich. They ate slowly, trying to appreciate what little they had. It was hard to when their stomachs were grumbling well into the night. Sitting around in the car, they were silent, not sure what to talk about, unaccustomed to going to bed so early.

Hiro let out a frustrated breath. "Look guys, I don't see why you all are so quiet. There's no use avoiding it. It happened. So? Being quiet isn't going to change any of it! We might as well start talking about how we're gonna get back."

Fred lifted his head. "We…w-w-we're going…back?"

"Absolutely. GoGo is bound to discover the USB in Vanellope's boot at some point. When she does, she's not going to understand the info on there, and she might misinterpret it. We can't let that happen. Besides, someone has to tell her how to build that beacon." Hiro turned his head and readjusted his position. "So we're going back."

"Do you have a plan?" Cass asked.

Hiro squirmed. "Well…I'll come up with something."

"Until you do, we should all get some sleep," Tadashi interjected. "Rest up for tomorrow."

Hiro wasn't listening. The gears in his head turned as he raced for options. The car would be too slow. They needed to warn GoGo about the Cybug wave coming. More thoughts jogged his brain.

"Hiro?" Hiro snapped out of his thoughts to see Tadashi looking his way. " _Rest_. No thinking tonight. You need to keep up your strength," he said as Hiro scoffed in protest, but rolled over until he lay in Baymax's lap. Tadashi ruffled his hair with a smile. "You work yourself too hard, you know," he said.

Hiro gave him a half-hearted smile and turned away. "Good night."

Tadashi gave Hiro's cheek a gentle, affectionate slap before turning away. Though Hiro's eyes were closed, his mind was still plenty awake.

( 0—0 )

"The train."

"What?"

"I said the train," Hiro repeated. "We're here." Pointing out the window, they saw a sign on the sidewalk that pointed down a flight of steps.

"I guess we are," Tadashi said as he stopped the car. The group got out of the suburban, packed their supplies, and headed down the stairs. "Careful not to trip. Some of the steps have chunks taken out of them," Tadashi warned as he helped Honey step over the broken steps.

Hiro wanted to make fun of him, but as they entered deeper into the dark, the more inappropriate the timing became. The air slowly got a lot colder. Hiro shivered, surrounded in complete darkness. "Guys?" he said, voice wavering.

"Allow me to assist," a familiar voice said. Two bright orbs of white light appeared in the darkness, shining forth like powerful flashlights. Baymax was illuminated by the light from his palms. "It is not safe to travel in the dark. You may trip over things you cannot see."

Hiro could see that he and the others had strayed far from each other in the darkness. They crowded around Baymax, grateful for some security in the ominous metro station. Wrapping his arms around Baymax's, Hiro clung to his friend as they made their way through the dark and down more flights of stairs. "Is it just me, or did it get colder?" he asked.

"I feel it, too…" Cass remarked.

"The temperature has decreased by 11 degrees, lowering the temperature to 61 degrees Fahrenheit. However, temperature levels have not become extreme enough to affect your body temperature," Baymax stated. "Fred, do not move. Please remain calm," he said suddenly.

The group froze and glance over at Fred. His blue eyes widened in the light. "What? What did I do?" he hissed.

"According the information Hiro used to update me on our current situation, there is a row of 'Cybug' eggs directly in front of you. Please remain stationary and do not panic."

Hiro gripped Baymax's palm and shone the light in front of Fred. With a white-blue glow, the perfectly round eggs glinted, not five inches away from the toe of Fred's sneaker. He gasped and backed away, clutching Baymax as he let out a breath. "Gaagh! Man, dude, that was a close one. Don't scare me like that again."

Tadashi helped guide the others away from the eggs. "Let's be careful guys. Baymax, shine the light in front of us so we'll know if there are any eggs."

After jumping over the ticket gates, Hiro stopped. "Okay, guys, here we split up. I'll take Baymax with me and you guys wait here."

"Hiro, I don't like this idea," Tadashi protested.

"It doesn't matter! Tadashi, if we're going to get these trains working, we need the power. Baymax and I will activate the power reserves beneath the city, and you keep the others safe."

"What about you?" Tadashi rebutted.

Hiro sputtered. "I'll be fine. I have a gun."

"Two heads are better than one."

"Tadashi—"

"You could always use another machine-junkie like me to make heads or tails of whatever you might find. Down there." Tadashi crossed his arms and took a stance.

One that Hiro didn't like. He sighed. "I have a feeling you aren't going to listen to me." He turned around. "Tadashi, if you come with me, you'll be leaving the rest of them defenseless. Jordan can't take any Cybugs alone. You know that."

"What? _You_ can? You probably less so."

Hiro let his face contort into a dark glare. " _Dude._ I can take on a Cybug. I've done it before."

Pursing his lips, Tadashi looked down, nodding.

Hiro nodded in return. "Okay." He shouldered his bag, which clanked with tools. "I'll go, then," he said quietly.

Without warning, Tadashi grabbed Hiro and pulled him into a quick squeeze. "There could be a million Cybugs down there, so be careful. Have Baymax shine the light in front of you." He let go with a light slap on the back

Hiro slowly gulped. "I'll be fine. I'll come straight back. I promise."

"Then take care of yourself." Tadashi pulled away, looking Hiro in the eye. Hiro looked back up at him.

"Guys! There's a train here on the purple track that's headed close to where the black gang camp is!" Jordan exclaimed.

Tadashi nodded. "We'll wait for you there." With that, he straightened and rejoined the others.

Hiro watched them head down the dark tunnel, their only flashlight lighting their way. He let out a breath. "Well, bud," he exhaled, "I guess we're going," he said and started down the tunnel in the opposite direction.

"Are you going to attempt to reroute the power from the underground power reserves to the train?" Baymax asked as he followed behind Hiro.

The boy let out a breath. "Yep."

"Tadashi was worried about you. Do you not wish to bring him with you?"

Hiro stopped before shaking his head and walking on down the tunnel. "Nah."

( 0—0 )

"He's been gone a long time," Cass said worriedly, chewing her nails as she paced back and forth. "Do you think something happened to him?"

Tadashi shrugged and rubbed his neck.

"Well, apparently he'd had no break-through. The place is still dark," Jordan mumbled, sitting on an empty bench while picking his nails.

Just as he had finished speaking, the lights overhead slowly flickered to life, while a deep hum emanated from deep within the metro tunnel. They all got to their feet. "What…?" Cass started.

"Until now," Honey giggled, clasping her hands together excitedly.

Fred blinked in wonder. "Wow…now we just need Hiro and we'll be good to go!" he exclaimed.

"We still need to get the—" before Tadashi could finish his sentence, the train that waited next to them powered up and the lights inside blinked on. Tadashi whistled.

"Pretty nice huh?"

They all turned to see Hiro wearing a sly grin with Baymax behind him.

"Dude…" Fred started.

Hiro held up a hand to stop him. "It was magic." He smiled. "But we should get going. A Cybug could pop up at any minute."

Jordan nodded firmly. "He's right. Let's move."

Tadashi put an arm around Hiro's shoulders as they walked towards the glowing train. "I'm glad to see you still have your head on your shoulders."

Hiro threw back his head and laughed. "Ha! I'm not that defenseless, bro."

"Eh, if you think about it, we're all defenseless like that," Tadashi said. "But next obstacle. How are we gonna get this thing moving?"

Hiro gripped Tadashi's wrist that was hanging over his shoulder and steered them away from the open sliding doors of the metro. "We're gonna drive it."

( 0—0 )

"So…I've never operated a train…" Tadashi started, brushing a finger over some buttons in the train's cockpit.

"Well, I've never either, so loosen up," Hiro replied.

"You know that statement is the exact opposite of a reason to 'loosen up,' right?"

"Just shut up." Hiro slid into the maglev chair and surveyed the dashboard in front of him. "Now…where's autopilot? Or autodrive? Where's the auto-thingy?"

"Seriously?" Tadashi threw his hands up. "You're just gonna let this thing drive itself?"

"Mmm." Hiro pulled up a set of holographic screens from a projector set in the middle of the dashboard. "Mm hmmm." He pulled one of the screens forward with his fingers and tapped something, displaying the different routes of the metro. Each one was colored differently. "What color did Jordan say?"

"Purple."

Hiro tapped the purple track and it enlarged. "Time to destination…huh! Three hours and 22 minutes with slow mechanics. Not bad," he murmured to himself. Then, he pressed a big button with the red words AUTO imprinted on it. Tadashi watched him press more doodads, waiting until Hiro pressed the button that would eject him off the roof of the train by a giant spring under his chair. It never happened. With a lurch, the train slowly moved forward, increasing in speed. Hiro pulled down a microphone from the ceiling. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, we are now headed for Seventh Square, San Fransokyo," he said in an easy-going voice. He even glanced up at Tadashi with a smirk. "We will arrive at our destination in approximately three hours and 22 minutes, so sit back and relax. It's gonna be a long ride."

( 0—0 )

The train jostled with an eerie, hollow whine as they sped through the black tunnel. Honey Lemon gazed out the window, watching the occasional white light blaze by. She could hear Fred drag Jordan into a game of concentration, their clapping and chanting blending into the background. Baymax sat by himself, blinking quietly and offering a comment or two every now and then. Aunt Cass just chewed her nails and waited. Honey got up from her seat and sat down next to her. "Hey. You okay?" she asked quietly.

Cass shrugged. "I'm just being a worried aunt is all."

"Worried about what?"

She shrugged again. "The boys up in the cockpit."

With a smile, Honey nodded. "I'm sure they're fine. Hiro got the train moving and he hasn't crashed us yet, so that's good! Uh, and Tadashi will keep him out of trouble. And if something—anything—goes wrong, they'll have each other. So they'll be fine, okay?"

Looking up at her, Cass let out a chuckle. "I guess you're right."

"Hmm," Honey sighed with a smile. "So…what is it like? Um, you know…to…look after kids?"

Cass let out a laugh. "Well! Tadashi is hardly a kid, and Hiro's just being a boy. I…I-I-I don't even know how to explain it," she said as she calmed herself down. "But when they were younger, it was a different story. I mean, you know they lost their parents at age three. Tadashi was really the only father figure for Hiro, so he was forced to grow up almost overnight. He's been very mature…well…most of the time," she laughed again. "Oh, those boys would get into the worst kind of trouble, sometimes. I remember a time they dismantled my dryer to modify a shopping cart. They made it fly! Those boys. I don't know how they got those brains," she clicked her teeth. "But Tadashi was very sweet. Hiro…was…usually a little misguided, but he could be cute, too. It's…oh, I'm sorry. You asked a question and I'm rambling."

"No! No, no! It's okay! I'd like to hear about when they were little," Honey Lemon giggled. "They sound so adorable."

"They were." Cass laughed. "When they moved to my house, Tadashi insisted that he and Hiro share the same bed. He was worried that he'd wake up with a nightmare and there'd be nobody to comfort him. Ah, he was so cute. They both were. I'd come up to them in the middle of night and they'd be in the same bed. Tadashi would have his arms around Hiro, who was sucking his thumb." Cass smiled fondly in nostalgia. "I miss when they were toddlers."

Honey listened attentively as the woman recalled more stories of the boys when they were young. She watched her fall deeper and deeper into a longing for the past. _It must hurt when your kids leave you behind,_ she thought. _But it must be worth it, watching them grow._ She licked her lips. "But…does it hurt when they…leave the nest?" she asked.

"Well of course," Aunt Cass replied. "When they grow up to the point when they don't need you anymore, it kind of leaves you empty inside. But…when you see them, what they become…the loneliness gets filled with a feeling of pride. The pride and joy kind of flushes out the emptiness, and…you go on with your life while they go on with theirs."

"But…was it worth it in the end?" Honey asked. "The memories and everything?"

Cass nodded. "Oh yes, sweetie. It was definitely all worth it. Raising children has its pains…but it has its joys and triumphs, and all the moments you'll cherish forever."

Honey's mouth twitched into a smile. "Would you go through it all again?"

Understandingly, Aunt Cass gave her a smile. "They would be worth it." She took in a breath. "Why? Are you thinking about raising a family?"

Blushing, Honey Lemon looked down. "I…well, I have to admit. It has crossed my mind and…I would very much like to…?" she laughed uncertainly. "I mean, I really—ah, how do I say it? Um—?"

"Sweetie!" Aunt Cass laughed. "Honey, you would make a wonderful mother," she said as she took Honey's hand in hers, making the girl blush. "So…" she started, giving the girl a sideways look. "…anybody…in mind?"

Honey turned an absolute scarlet before gripping Cass's hands until her knuckles were white. "I'm…not sure," she squeaked.

Cass laughed and patted her shoulder. "Honey Lemon, when you are ready, you will make an amazing mother, as said."

Honey stood up quickly and smiled nervously down at Aunt Cass. "Uhm…well I have to…go get something." She ran down the car to the door that lead to the other car.

"Where are you going, Honey?" Fred asked.

"Ooh! Dude! You just lost!" Jordan exclaimed. "You broke the—"

"Oh! I'm just…going to the bathroom! That's all," Honey said as she slid the door open. She could feel the cars beneath her feet shift as she stepped into the other car. Taking in a deep breath, she raked her fingers through her blonde hair before entering the women's room. She reached for the light switch, when she stepped on something and fell. She shrieked, falling onto the tiled floor, but smooth spheres jabbed into her back. Breathing heavily, she scrambled to her feet, whimpering and rubbing her back. She gasped as green hexagon patterns started to light up all over the floor. She screamed and stood up, flicking the light on.

Six, writhing little Cybugs crawled on the floor.

She screamed again and ran out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut. She pressed her back against the door, her chest heaving and hair in her face. A shriek escaped her lips as a growing Cybugs bumped the door. She hurriedly scanned the car for anything. Any weapon. Something she could use to defend herself. The car was vacant of anything. Something red caught her eye. A panel on the wall with two buttons. The red one said _emergency_. The black one said _call_ with a speaker beneath it. She slammed both. As soon as her hand hit the red one, a beeping filled the train car and red lights along the ceiling blinked in unison. The black button let out a click and she prepared her mouth next to the speaker.

( 0—0 )

It had been two hours. _One and a half to go_ , Tadashi thought glumly. He sighed and looked over at Hiro, who sat with a leg slung over the right arm of the chair. He snacked on a bag of chips he'd found under the dash. Tadashi slapped his brother's leg disapprovingly. "Hiro, sit straight."

"Hey!" Hiro slung his leg off the arm and sat crisscross instead. He let out a withering sigh and lolled his head to look up at him. "Are you bored?"

Tadashi nodded. "Yeah. I'm bored."

"Then _don't_ cure your boredom scolding me. Find something else to do." Hiro turned back to his bag of chips. "Hey. Dude, how about 20 questions?"

Tadashi just shrugged. "Sure. Okay."

"Okay. I'm thinking of something." Hiro turned the chair around to look at Tadashi, who was leaning against the wall.

"An animal?"

"Ah...yeah, yeah, you could say that," Hiro nodded with a nonchalant shrug.

"Bigger or larger than a breadbox?"

"Bigger."

"Colorful?"

"Oh, _very_."

The tone of Hiro's voice set Tadashi off a little bit. "Does it have two legs?"

"Yep."

"How about…wings?"

"Nope."

"Is it an omnivore?"

"Yeah."

"Does it have fur?"

"Yeah…" Hiro snickered. "Long _blond fur_ —" he collapsed into a fit of snickers and laughs. He leaned over his chair, trying to take in wheezy gasps as he laughed. He let out a gasp as Tadashi grabbed him by the shirt collar and shook him. "Whoa—dude! The train!"

"Honey Lemon is not an _animal_ , and she does not have _fur_ ," Tadashi growled into Hiro's face. " _Knucklehead_! How _stupid_ do you have to be?!"

Hiro turned the chair back to the train dash. "Bro, it was a _joke_! Okay? You don't have to get all defensive! If anything, it just proves you like her more."

Tadashi smoldered and crossed his arms. "Shut up, will you?"

Hiro bit another chip. "Look, humans are mammals. Mammals are animals. I'm not saying Honey Lemon is an animal, like, I'm trying to degrade her intelligence or anything. It was a joke. Chill. But...don't tell her I said that, either."

Suddenly, red lights started to flash around the ceiling. A low beeping resonated in the cockpit. Hiro stared up at the worriedly. "Uh…did I press something?"

They heard a loud click. " _Tadashi? Hiro? Hiro! Are you there?_ " Honey's desperate voice filled the cockpit.

Hiro grabbed the microphone. "Honey? What's wrong? There are some red lights flashing—"

" _Hiro! Cybugs! Six of them in the bathroom!_ " she cried, taking in gasping breathes. Tadashi immediately straightened, set on edge.

"Hold up, _Cybugs_?"

"On the train?" Tadashi barked.

" _Six of them! Eggs! There are eggs on the train!_ "

Tadashi let out a breath, face set in determination. "We need to get back there to them," he said.

Hiro turned back to the microphone. "Honey, hang on—"

" _Hiro, I can't HANG ON!_ " Honey screamed.

"Get back to the others. Get the guns. I'm going to do what I can from here," Hiro said as he placed the mic back.

"You said _what_?" Tadashi asked, aghast. "Hiro, we can't just leave them!"

"Well _dude_ , I can't leave! I'm _driving this stinking train_!" Hiro waved his hands at the train's dashboard.

"Well you don't have to." Tadashi turned.

"Whoa, dude. Come on. Where are you going? You're stuck in the cockpit with me," Hiro called as he turned the chair around.

"Nope." Grabbing his pistol and tucking it into his belt, Tadashi stood on the bench that jutted out from the wall, wedging his fingers into a panel in the ceiling.

"DUDE!" Hiro leapt from the chair. "This thing is _moving_!"

Tadashi pushed Hiro away. "If _you_ want to stay here and drive a train that's on _autopilot_ , go ahead! But Honey Lemon, Aunt Cass, and the others are back there with _six_ and _probably more_ Cybugs! _I'm not leaving them_!"

"But Tadashi, the train—"

" _I don't care about the train_!" Tadashi yelled. "I'm not letting _any_ of them die!"

Hiro took a step back from his brother. "Tadashi…are you actually going—"

Tadashi let out a grunt as he pushed a lever, releasing the hatch on the top of the cockpit. It fell to the floor with a clatter as the cockpit instantly filled with a deafening howl. Hiro stared up at his brother, wide-eyed. Tadashi looked back down at him, his black hair tousled madly by the rushing wind outside. "I'm going! Now are you coming with me, or not?"

 **THE MAN BRAVES THE MOVING TRAIN TO SAVE HIS LOVE AND HIS FAMILY!**

 **Ahaha, so hello again! Back with another chapter I've been stashing in the reserves. I'm probably gonna disappear again for a little while after this, since...well, Inktober, a ton of birthdays, the holidays, probably gonna be pretty busy with other school and other stuff, too. I might try to upload if I find time, but chances are I will forget...I...tend to forget to upload...ye**

 **Well, I guess there's a heads up, expect another span of inactivity...not that yall wouldn't be used to that by now, but still.**

 **QUICK QUESTION BEFORE YOU GO! ! !**

 **Would...any of you be interested in seeing the designs for the characters...? Their outfits and adaptations? If you are, please leave a comment saying so and I will scrounge up some sketches and doobles if you'd like, which I can link to here (I _think_. I see no reason why I _can't_ ). Until next update!**

 **\- kiwii-chan**


	31. Chapter XXX: Return

"Concentration…64…no repeats…or hesitations…" Jordan and Fred said, clapping their hands together. Baymax sat nearby, watching them as if in a trance. His black eyes blinked rhythmically as the boys played their clapping game.

"I will start," Fred said, "and you will follow."

"Category is…" they resumed, "TV shows"

"Miraculous Ladybug."

"Avatar the Last Airbender."

"Voltron."

"Over the Garden W—"

They were interrupted as Honey burst madly into the car, panting heavily. She ran over to their pile of supplies and fished out her purse.

"Honey, are you okay?" Aunt Cass started.

Honey just let out a wild, panicked noise and stood up. "There are Cybugs in the other car," she gulped in a breath.

"Oh no," Baymax stood up.

"Holy crap!" Jordan leapt to her side and grabbed a gun. He cocked it. "Where are they now?"

"They're babies, but their growing. They could be anywhere in that car."

Fred stood up and held out his arms in front of Aunt Cass. "I shall protect her," he declared before waving his arms around madly. "Any Cybugs that dare mess with her had better go through me, first."

"Dude, no. Just no." Jordan pulled Aunt Cass up. "You guys need to go. Head in the opposite direction. Start towards the end of the train, away from the Cybugs. That's your best option."

"Everyone, please remain calm," Baymax asked. "Your heart rates have increased dramatically. Assuming Hiro and Tadashi are safe in the cockpit, we must put a distance between us and the Cybugs."

"Do Hiro and Tadashi _know_?" Cass asked.

"Yes. Hiro's going to try and do something from there," Honey answered.

They all gasped as a something hard banged the car door. Honey shrieked and clung to Cass. At first, the door held fast. Then, dents started to appear. "Dang it, guys! Go! _GO_!" Jordan yelled at them. "Why are you still here! Go! Go! Go!"

Honey Lemon felt Fred grab her arm, pulling her towards the end of the car. Cass had gathered all their remaining food and weapons, pulling open the car door. Honey shook her arm out of Fred's grasp and took a position next to Jordan. "Fred! Go!" she called.

"Honey Lemon!" Fred called, frantic. "We're not leaving without you!"

"Fred, time is of the essence," Baymax urged from Cass's side.

"You need to take Aunt Cass and Baymax go!" Honey stuck her hand into her bag. "Jordan and I will keep you guys covered."

"NO!"

"Fred!" Cass grabbed Fred's arm and pulled him out of the car with her and Baymax, sliding the door closed behind her.

"You should've gone with them," Jordan said, holding the pistol forward.

"I can't leave you alone," Honey said as she drew out a blue ball.

"Honey Lemon!" Jordan panicked above the sound of metal pounding against metal. " _Bouncy balls_ aren't gonna help!"

Then, the door burst open. Six full grown Cybugs screeched to announce their triumph over the door. Jordan fired and Honey pitched her balls, plastering a bug to the row of chairs near the front. It screeched and one of its legs broke the row's window before it went still. A wailing howl filled the car, blowing Honey and Jordan's hair around. They held their ground.

When four had already been taken down, smaller babies scuttled into the car, eating empty chip bags that had been lying around. Their bodies morphed into dorito foil covered shells.

Jordan took a step back, shooting at the babies on the floor, but they crawled under the chairs, chittering. Honey and Jordan both screamed and scrambled onto the cushioned seats. Jordan shot one that crept into the light, and acid pooled underneath the chair. Soon, parts of the carpet had been dissolved or badly singed. The metal underneath was wrought with what little drops of acid where left. Honey saw one of the bug crawl out, laying a line of green eggs in its wake. Honey started backwards over the seats and towards the car door.

 _Hiro, if you're going to do something, we really could use it now._

( 0—0 )

The wind buffeted Hiro's face as he clung for his very life to the top of the train. He could feel its force trying to push him back, fighting him every move he made. Tadashi was doing just as bad as he was. Still, they crawled on hands, knees, and stomachs down the train, jumping across the cars. His eyes hurt from the wind and the darkness, the only light in the dark tunnel being the glowing lights along the walls that shrieked as they passed. "Tadashi!" Hiro yelled above the wind. " _Tadashi_!"

Tadashi stopped to look back at him. "What?!"

"How will we know which car they're in?!" Hiro shouted at the top of his lungs.

"We'll know!" Tadashi replied before crawling on.

Hiro wanted to scream at him for such a lame answer, but all he could do without the wind blowing his gums around was follow. He ducked his head as some pipes whizzed by overhead. Then, with one ear filled with wind and the other pushed against the train, he heard something.

A screech.

( 0—0 )

"We need to move back! NOW!" Jordan yelled. He and Honey Lemon were now down the very last row of seats in the back.

"What about Fred and Aunt Cass?" Honey asked and pitched a ball at an oncoming Cybug. The room now stank with the scent of burnt and acid, while the car itself was scarred with bullet holes and scratches, and parts of the car were stained with multicolored splotches where just a few legs stuck out of the mass.

"Let's just hope they're covering some ground!" Jordan said as he pulled open the door. Honey jumped through it and they pushed it closed before entering the next car. Fred and Cass were not to be seen. _Thank God_ , Honey thought silently as she pulled in heaving breathes.

This time, the door didn't stand a chance. It was forcefully ripped open and the Cybugs came in. Honey Lemon threw, Jordan shot, and the chaos resumed its painting on a fresh canvas. However, the Cybugs weren't babies. Jordan and Honey Lemon were soon pushed to the back again.

Then, making Jordan and Honey scream, a latch above their heads opened and the square of ceiling dropped to the floor with a loud clang. Tadashi dropped in with a pistol and shot, the bullet fire piercing their ears. The Cybugs, caught by surprise, fell victim to his shots. The babies that they'd brought with them, however, scuttled under the chairs again. Tadashi dropped in and climbed onto the seat where Honey Lemon was. She let out a cry of relief and hugged him tight. "Tadashi! Oh my gosh! Thank God, you're okay!"

He hugged her back. "Where are the others?"

"Where's Hiro?" Honey asked.

"Here," Hiro mumbled as he swung into the room monkey-style. He surveyed the damage before tucking his knife back into his belt. "You guys did pretty good here."

"Aunt Cass and Fred are heading towards the back of the train," Jordan answered. "Hey, dude." He hit a fist bump with Hiro. "I told them to get away from the Cybugs and we'd hold them off."

Just then, the door slid open and Cass stumbled in on the verge of traumatized, lugging Baymax with her. Fred came in after and closed the door, pressing his back against it and gasping. "There were more! We hatched them by accident and now there are more back there!"

They all stared at each other, alarmed as the reality of their situation started to sink in. "We need to get off," Honey said as it dawned on her. "We need to get off this train."

The mention of the idea set panic into all of their heads. "I need to get back to the cockpit," Hiro said quickly.

"You're not crawling on the top of this train all the way back to front!" Tadashi protested.

"How close are we to the camp?" Fred asked.

Jordan glanced down at his watch. "We only have 28 minutes before this train has to stop."

"We can jump now," Tadashi nodded.

"Jump?!" Jordan's voice cracked. "Dude, we can't jump off a moving train!"

"They do it in the movies! We can do this!" Fred interjected.

"That's _acting_! This is real!"

"It's the only chance we got," Honey huffed.

"Honey Lemon is right. We appear to have no other choice," Baymax said.

Tadashi cocked his pistol. "Baymax, get into your charging box. You'll be easier to move. Jordan and I will hold off the Cybugs until you guys get off. Then we'll jump."

As Baymax sunk into his charging box, which Cass picked up, Fred gathered their supplies in their drawstring backpack and slung it over his shoulders. "I am _ready_ ," he said zealously.

For once, they could all appreciate his enthusiasm to do the crazy. It gave a little spark of courage that they weren't alone. However, snapping them all out of their thoughts, the sudden banging that started to wear down the car door was their sign that they needed to move. Tadashi pressed the others into the passage between the two moving cars, taking up his stance in the door frame. The sights of his pistol were trained on the door on the far side of the car.

"Okay, guys. Go, go, go," Jordan said as he wrenched open the train door. Outside, the sky was a dull blue, the faintest streaks of a brilliant peach on the horizon. The platform was only a gray blur before them. The air instantly whipped against their skin, giving them all goosebumps.

Fred was to jump first, but when he came to the door, he was frozen, staring with wide blue eyes at the platform. He shook his head. "Wait—"

"Freddie, it's okay." Fred jumped as Honey grabbed his hand. "We'll jump together." Nodding together firmly, they leapt from the frame of the door. Then they were gone.

Screeching and muffled hissing made Jordan snap his head to the door to the car next to him. Tadashi held their right. The car on the left was vulnerable. He opened the door and looked down the empty car to find the door already dented. He held up his pistol, trying to keep his hands from trembling.

Aunt Cass gulped nervously, before taking her leap from the door, clutching Baymax's box tightly to her chest.

"HIRO!" Tadashi yelled. "JUMP! _NOW_!"

Hiro clutched the side of the door with white fists, staring out the door.

"Jordan! Jump!" Tadashi changed his focus.

"But the Cybugs!"

"GO! NOW!"

Tearing himself away from the door that threatened to burst from its hinges, Jordan tucked his gun into his belt, turned, and jumped out of the train without giving himself a chance to be scared. Hiro moved to the side as he watched his friend jump.

"Hiro! GO!" Tadashi yelled as the door burst open.

Hiro made no inclination that he'd even hear him. The door that Jordan had been guarding burst open. They were surrounded on both sides. Tadashi turned back to see a horde of Cybugs crawling over the chair and getting closer. Hiro hadn't jumped. He looked over his shoulder. The Cybugs from the other end were getting closer as well. Hiro was still there.

With a frustrated yell, Tadashi fired his pistol, stuck it into his belt, turned and jumped smack straight into Hiro, pushing them both out into the cold air just as a Cybugs nicked his ankle. With a frigid blast from the rushing air, the two slammed to the concrete platform as the train whizzed past them. Hiro felt his palms scrape against the gritty platform and his head hurt uncontrollably. He groaned, pushing up against Tadashi, who was on top of him. He turned his head to watch the train whizz off into the distance. In a few seconds, it was gone. He let out a breath and fell back to the warm concrete, breathing heavily. Tadashi rolled himself off and they looked at each other as they lay on the ground.

"Why didn't you jump?" Tadashi asked quietly, panting.

Hiro gulped. "I don't know," he answered.

Tadashi blinked, letting out a quiet breath. "You should've jumped."

"I'm _sorry_ already, okay?" Hiro huffed indignantly as he pushed himself up, standing on his feet. He held a stiff hand out to Tadashi, looking away.

Tadashi reached up, grabbed it, and Hiro hauled him up. Looking further down the platform, they saw the others, standing up shakily.

They regrouped. "Okay! That was scary but totally epic! What's next?" Fred said in a wavering voice, shaken from his jump.

"We determine our location," Jordan said as he looked around. On the other side of the tracks was another platform, a wider one, complete with stairs, benches, and a rain booth. "…I think we were supposed to jump over there."

They carefully hopped down onto the tracks and walked across, climbing onto the opposite platform. "What station is this…?" Aunt Cass mumbled to herself as she examined a map in the rain booth. Some of the others took seats at the benches. "It says we're at Iga," she announced, hefting Baymax's box.

"That's not far from the black camp, actually." Jordan sat up, rubbing a scrap he discovered on his elbow.

"How far?"

"About…uhm…around fifteen miles or something?"

Fred sighed, disappointed. "I was hoping for something, like, _one_ mile."

"Are we going to walk all the way?" Honey asked.

"We could find another car," Tadashi suggested.

"But GoGo needs to know _now_ ," Hiro protested.

"Well the world isn't _always_ on our side, Hiro! We can only do the best we can," Tadashi scolded him.

Hiro glowered down at the platform, silent.

Tadashi sighed. "Alright. Let's go look for a—"

"Fred, do you still have our supplies?" Hiro cut him off.

"Yeah, man. All secured on my back," Fred replied and hefted the drawstring backpack.

Hiro came over and opened it, pulling out the folded cruiser, slinging it over his shoulder. "I have an idea."

" _No._ " Tadashi cut him off with his hand. "You are _not_ taking a cruiser."

"Think about it! GoGo needs to know. I'm the one most educated about this Cybugs wave, so I should go talk to her."

"You're also the one she hates most," Jordan raised his eyebrows.

Hiro sighed. "Not helping. Tadashi, if I take the cruiser, I could tell her, and then I could send someone to pick you guys up if you stay put."

"That's crazy!" Tadashi exclaimed.

"Aunt Cass?" Hiro turned to her hopefully, searching for support.

She looked between Tadashi and Hiro worriedly. "Hiro, it's dangerous."

"This is _all_ dangerous!" Fred protested, standing by Hiro. "The little man's got a point! GoGo needs to be warned before the Cybugs all get here and destroy San Fransokyo! We waste time looking for a car!"

"They need all the time they can get to prepare for the wave," Honey agreed, standing by Hiro as well. "While we're wasting time looking for a car, Ishioka could be sending the Cybugs out now."

"Honey," Tadashi started, "it's not your younger brother going alone out there defenseless, where anything could happen."

"We all need to take chances," Honey argued.

"Guys, guys, calm down!" Jordan jumped between them before a civil war could brew. "The last thing we need to be doing is arguing with each other! We need to work together if we want to get out of this alive."

They all looked at him, realizing he spoke truth. Hiro looked up at Tadashi. "How about a compromise?"

Tadashi sighed and held up his hands. "You're going to fight me the whole way. Aunt Cass, talk sense into him."

"Tadashi, stop naming bad guys!" Honey accused. "This isn't the time!"

"A compromise sounds pretty good to me," Fred shrugged.

Jordan nodded in agreement.

Aunt Cass looked back at her nephew. "Hiro…I don't know."

"Please, Aunt Cass," Hiro pleaded desperately. "I need to go tell her!"

"Are you sure this isn't about Vanellope?" Tadashi muttered under his breath and into his fist.

" _Dude_ , that is _LOW_!" Hiro roared, rushing at him. The only reason he didn't tackle Tadashi to the ground was because Honey grabbed a hold of his arm.

"Hiro, stoppit!" she yelled at him. "We don't need a fight on our hands!"

"We already have one," Jordan observed.

Hiro let out a smoldering breath to calm himself and held up his hands. "Alright. Alright. I'm sorry." He looked back up at Tadashi, now restored to his normal debate-mode. "You know what I think it's about, Tadashi? I think it's about that night GoGo beat me up. I always seem like such a weak, skinny little kid that happens to be smart, but needs to be protected all the time. I'm not. Yes, I'll get hurt, but you can't _be_ there all the time for me! It's impossible. I'm almost sixteen! Are you going to live with me to watch over me when I'm twenty?"

"Hiro, come one," Tadashi started. "It's not about that—"

"I _swear_ it is!" Hiro cut him off. "You don't think I can handle myself! Do you know how it makes me feel when you're over my shoulder all the time? Incompetent. You think I'm helpless? I only feel helpless when you make me."

Tadashi blinked, taken aback. "Hiro…"

"Dude, let me _show_ you that I can do this," Hiro pleaded. "Because I can."

Tadashi looked at him, silent. He processed Hiro's analysis of himself, trying to pick out what was true and what wasn't. Could he really? Was there even anything wrong with what he said? Tadashi looked his brother up and down with new eyes. He wasn't incompetent. He wasn't helpless. He was smart. And he was almost sixteen. Even Aunt Cass had said he would have to fly out from under his wing. _After all these years, am I still overprotective of him?_ He sighed. "Aunt Cass…I'll leave this one to you," he said quietly and stepped back.

Cass looked from Tadashi to Hiro. "You…you want to do what?" she asked, setting Baymax's box down in front of her feet to clasp her hands worriedly.

"If you could stay put while I talk to GoGo, I can send someone to find you and bring you back," he answered.

She thought it over for a few moments, staring out over the bleak horizon. Then, she finally looked back to Hiro. She drew in shaky breath and pulled him close. "Sweetie…please. Be safe out there," she whispered into his ear.

Hiro hugged her back. "I will, Aunt Cass."

In a few moments, with a pistol in his belt in case of an emergency, Hiro was on the hoverboard. "Remember, stay put until I send someone to get you, but if you can find a car, get over here as fast as you can. I don't want you guys out after dark."

"We won't be. We'll find shelter," Cass replied before holding his hand. "Honey, please, hurry."

Hiro ducked down and kissed her cheek. "I'll be as fast as I can." He turned to looked at Tadashi, waiting for some kind of sending-off that his brother usually did when he did something like this. Tadashi stood at the back of the group, arms crossed. He wasn't looking his way. Hiro sighed and adjusted his footing on the cruiser. In a brilliant, purple flash, he was gone.

Tadashi watched him shrink in the distance, soon only a black speck against the shining orange dust, painted its shades by the morning sun. He sighed.

He turned to see Honey place a hand on his shoulder. "He's resourceful. He'll be okay out there." She smiled as Tadashi let out an uncertain huff. "I think you made the right choice."

Tadashi stared out over the plain where Hiro used to be. "I hope so."

( 0—0 )

Dry wind soon caked his mouth by high noon. He wanted to drink something, to feel some liquid ease the pain in his throat, but he had nothing except for the spit that was pooling in his mouth. He gulped it down, hoping to soothe his throat, but it only lasted for a second. Hiro conjured up some more saliva to swallow. He panted heavily, watching the barren landscape whizz by in a blur, but it was all so blurry that he couldn't discern what was a dune and what was flat. The grit was already making his eyes water without his hair constantly stinging his face. His back was already dripping with sweat. He could feel it soak his tank top, plastering it to his skin. Same went with his forehead and hair.

He hadn't actually used the cruiser before. It took a lot of effort to keep the thing balanced. He marveled at how effortlessly Di had used it to save him when he'd taken his dunk by the bridge.

 _I wonder how they're doing now,_ he thought. Was GoGo treating them well? Or prisoners? Keeping them confined? He let out a breath to feel it whisked by him as he sped by.

Suddenly, his vision went black. Stars blinked in and out of his eyes as he suddenly felt weightless. Seconds passed by where he couldn't remember anything. Then, with a hard hit to his head and ringing in his ears, he found himself on his back in the sand. He let out a cry and coughed, choking up bits of dust from his already dry mouth.

His legs stuck up in the air, one foot still stuck onto the cruiser, which was still shooting. It caused his one leg to wave about madly with the cruiser trying to get loose. He lay, staring at the blue sky, while sand rubbed into his back and pants, his tank-top and jacket scrunched up to his shoulders. With a loud groan, he sat up, shaking sand out of his hair. After he had straightened his belt and pulled his tank-top down, he turned off the cruiser, which dropped to the ground, lifeless. His leg dropped with it. After he had turned it on and resumed his position, he resumed on his way.

 _Did I faint? Am I dehydrated?_ _Baymax would know. He'd scan me right now and find out that I've been keeping hydrated by my own spit._ He asked himself a few questions until he saw the horizon level out. A small group of dull specks dotted the skyline as it came closer, inching ever closer…

( 0—0 )

Vanellope huffed, blowing some hair out of her eyes. She crossed her arms moodily and crossed her leg, sinking lower into her wicker chair. She looked up at Wasabi. "Do you think about them?" she asked, breaking their long time of silence.

Wasabi looked down at her, finally allowing himself to be drawn away from his perimeter watch. He sighed. "Vanellope, why do you like to pry?"

She bit her lip. "Just answer the question."

"Of course I think about it," Wasabi snapped. He sighed. "We just left them there like that. I don't know how GoGo and the others don't feel guilty, even if they did cause her a lot of trouble." He looked back out over the plain.

Vanellope groaned and straightened. "I don't even know _why_ we're here. There's absolutely _nothing_ out there." She waved a hand at their bleak view.

"Ah, and when you drop your guard, _that's_ when you need to pay attention the most." Wasabi wagged a finger at Vanellope, making her roll her head up to look at him. "Don't let it fool you. You leave one hold in our defenses, they'll storm in."

Vanellope leaned her head against her fist, elbow on the arm of her chair. She sighed and muttered to herself under her breath, "Why did GoGo make me come here?"

Wasabi looked down at her, glowering at the plains. "Vanellope…it's obvious how you feel about your sister's conduct towards Hiro. How do you feel about her herself?" he asked.

Snapping her head up, Vanellope sucked in a breath. "Ah…what…do you mean?" she asked hurriedly.

"Exactly what I said," Wasabi answered.

Vanellope pursed her lips. "Uhm…she…she's dirtied the esteem I've used to hold for her. That's for sure…" she trailed off. "But…Wasabi, it's hard. It's hard to think of her as my sister. To me, she's just my enemy," she gushed suddenly. "And it's gonna take a _lot_ of time before she's anything else to me than _that._ "

Wasabi nodded and resumed watching.

Vanellope sighed. "Look, I know she's done some really horrific things, but that was kinda harsh," she started, "uh, it's just…oh man." She watched with Wasabi again, deciding to drop the subject.

A few minutes passed, and the only thing that moved was the breeze. Vanellope let out a guttural groan and let her head fall back. She looked back at the dunes again with a renewed glower. A speck grew bigger on the horizon. She blinked and leaned closer in her chair, straining to see. The speck grew even bigger, gaining form. A boy on a hoverboard. And even from that distance, she'd know him anywhere. She suddenly lurched from her chair, springing.

"Vanellope!" Wasabi called. "Wait!"

"HIRO!" She paid no heed to Wasabi as she ran. Then she halted as the hoverboard slowed down, finally to a stop in front of her. Panting, weary, Hiro stepped off the hoverboard, nearly stumbling as his foot hit the ground. His face glistened with sweat, his raven hair sticking. Ghostly traces of his wounds still showed around his forehead and shoulders. Vanellope grabbed him and squeezed him around the neck, giving a cry of relief.

Hiro let out a heaving breath and hugged her back. His footing swayed as he leaned more against Vanellope. She gave a little shriek as his arms loosened. She couldn't hold him up and he collapsed to the ground. Saliva pooled in his open mouth. Vanellope quickly bent down and felt his sweaty forehead. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him gently. "Hiro? Hiro!" she called frantically. He never moved. "WASABIII!" she called frantically over her shoulder. "Wasabi! HELP! It's HIRO!"

 **Long time no update, but it's a special occasion, eh? Cheers to a productive, inspired, and motivated 2019 that will hopefully be full of writing~! Thank you again, my amazing readers, for your patience, kindness, and plenty of support. Happy New Years!**

 **\- kiwii-chan**


	32. Chapter XXXI: Regroup

The first thing he felt was a cold splatter on his face. He gasped and jolted, shaking away the ice-cold water that dribbled down his forehead. Then, a hand gently slapped his cheeks. "That's it, that's it," a warm voice said.

Hiro blinked and groggily sat up. "What?"

Felix placed a hand at the small of his back, supporting him. "Careful. You are terribly dehydrated. How do you feel?"

Though his head swam and his mind still felt half asleep, he could see Vanellope and Wasabi also standing over him. "What…w-what happened?" he asked, trying to slid off the table he'd been laying on.

"Ah, ah, no, no, no. You _stay put_ ," Felix said firmly, pushing him back up onto the table. "How do you feel, Hiro?"

He moaned. "Like I just took the ice bucket challenge."

"Groggy? Dizzy? Nausea?" Felix asked.

Hiro nodded quickly. "Yeah. Like…like I'm gonna throw up—"

"Drink this." Felix quickly handed him a glass of water. Hiro downed it in a few large gulps. He let out a breath when he set the empty glass down. Felix refilled it with a nearby pitcher and handed it back to him. Hiro downed it again. "Ah, take your time."

"Oh, God, that feels good." Hiro wiped his mouth with his jacket sleeve before throwing back his head, breathing heavily. Slowly, his hot dizziness and nausea drifted away until all he felt was hot. He looked back down again to have Felix place a hand to his forehead. "How did I get here?" he asked.

"When you passed out, I carried you," Wasabi answered.

"Sweet Mother of Monkey Milk, how did you make here on just a hoverboard? It's crazy!" Vanellope exclaimed.

"I'm crazy," Hiro grinned.

"That I can believe."

"Where are the others?" Wasabi asked.

Hiro ran his fingers through his hair. "They…they're still back at the ruins. Once we got off the island, we took the train on the purple track, but there were Cybugs and we were forced to jump off at Iga station. I told them to stay there and look for a car, unless I made it here first. Wasabi, can you please get them? They can't be out there at night—"

"I know, little man. I'll get them right away," Wasabi reassured and left the canopy jogging. Hiro watched him go and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do you have any other wounds?" Felix asked.

Hiro shook his head. "Nah, except for a bruise to the head from a fall."

"Then you both stay here. We can't let GoGo know that you're here. Yet," Felix said before rushing off to label some jars.

Vanellope sat on the table next to Hiro. "So, was it uneventful, of brimming with action, getting here?" she asked.

"It was uneventful until it was brimming with action," Hiro joked.

"No, I'm serious! Really! Tell me about it! Me and Di have been stressing over you guys. She'll be glad to hear you're okay."

Hiro finally relented and recounted the story of getting off the island, taking the train, finding the Cybugs, jumping, and taking the hoverboard. "I think I might've blacked out on the hoverboard back there, actually. It just went black and next thing I knew, I was on the ground with my butt in the air."

"Well, you're lucky. I don't think any of us knew about the hoverboards until Di stole one. I've been itching to ride one since."

"Trust me, it's hard, just keeping your balance. Next, you have to make sure you're going in the right direction. As far as steering, it's all in the ankles.

Vanellope laughed. "I'll have you and Di coach me when I get the chance."

"How have you guys been here, anyway?" Hiro asked. "As soon as GoGo hauled you all off and Di left us a little bit of stuff, we don't know anything."

Vanellope pursed her lips and nodded. "Uhm, well, we weren't treated like prisoners or anything, except for the fact that we're being watched, just in case we make some daring attempt to rescue you guys. But you don't need rescuing, so that's not gonna happen. Besides, we knew you guys would pull through eventually. Francis has been bum without Jordan, and…really, we all missed you guys. Except GoGo."

Hiro nodded. "Okay. Has Joey's food improved?"

"No, it's gotten worse!" Vanellope exclaimed. "He says he's not gonna do any real cooking until Fred or Aunt Cass comes back so he can either have a buddy or be taught how to do it the real way. But his food literally reeks! It's all slimy and wilted and burnt and stuff!"

"Sounds nasty," Hiro grimaced. "We've been living off MRE's and one fourths of a sandwich for each person. That stank."

"Well, I'm just glad you guys made it." Vanellope smiled.

Hiro looked at his clasped hands and nodded. "Yep…we made it."

( 0—0 )

A few hours later, Hiro and Vanellope stood outside in the hot, gusty wind as Wasabi's red jeep pulled into the vehicle tent. It looked crowded inside. To confirm his theory, the door slammed open as soon as the car parked and Jordan stepped out, raising his arms high above his head. Fred shortly followed.

Honey and Cass came out the other door, pulling Baymax out after them, and Tadashi came out the passenger side. Wasabi pulled open the trunk and started to unload what little they had. Tadashi came over to Hiro and ruffled his hair. "Glad to see you made it in one piece," he chuckled.

Hiro swatted his hand away and tried to straighten his hair. "Glad you guys made it before nightfall," he returned.

"And I haven't see you in a while, hey!" Tadashi gave Vanellope a hug.

"I can't believe you guys got off that island!" she exclaimed with a laugh as she squeezed him back. "I mean, I know you hid that boat, but still!"

Tadashi looked down at them. "I imagine you guys had time to catch up."

"He told me everything," Vanellope nodded.

"Guys," Wasabi said, drawing their attention away. "We need to keep the hubbub down. We can't let GoGo know that you're here. Not yet."

"He's right," Jordan agreed, "Any minute, she could—FRANICS!"

"Jordan! Dude!" Francis, who had walked up on them, ran forward and they collide in an aggressive but good-natured hug, hitting each other and laughing. "You made it! You're back!"

"Well I couldn't be gone for long. I gotta have your back! Confessed to Cadence yet?" Jordan and Francis slung their arms around each other's shoulders, walking away, chatting as if nothing had happened.

"Wasabi, on that note, I need to see GoGo. Where is she?"

"Hiro, that's not a good idea. You just—"

"If I don't tell GoGo now, we could all be in grave danger. That's why I came alone," Hiro explained.

"She's in the head tent talking with Calhoun," Wasabi answered. "But the rest of you should get settles in your old places as soon as possible. Keep quiet."

"I'll catch up," Hiro called as the others started to walk away. When he made sure that they had gone, he walked away from the edge of the camp until he was confronted with only the glaring sun as it sunk lower into the sky. He pulled out his hairband, releasing his hair, which he gathered up in a fist. Then he grabbed his knife and held the blade right up against the nape of his neck. He let out a slow breath. In one swift slash upward, his ponytail was severed. He looked at his fistful of hair for a bit before he released it and let it fall to the dust. He slid the knife back into its sheath.

"Why'd you do that?"

Hiro turned around. "I was getting tired of it."

"Ah," Vanellope nodded, stepping out of the shadows. "I was getting kinda used to it."

Hiro laughed. "If I let that thing grow for too long, Tadashi would kill me if Aunt Cass hadn't first. Besides," he said, "I've changed."

( 0—0 )

"Those guys are situated here, mostly by the sea side," Calhoun said and drew a circle with her finger on the map that lay before them on the table. "It'll be hard if we want to raid them. It's miles away, kind of mountainous, and they know that territory better than we do. If they corner us up against the sea, we'll be in hot water."

GoGo nodded, upset. "True. What about the Greens?"  
Andy stepped forward. "They're to the west; land is flatter. But they're just as desperate as we are. I doubt they'd have anything of use."

GoGo growled. "We _need_ more ammunition! If we don't get it, we could be defenseless! We can't resort to bows and arrows, and hand-to-hand combat is best to be avoided. That leaves us with guns. Clean job, kill from a distance, bingo. Only problem, we need bullets. We're _low_ on bullets."

"We don't need to be lectured on the situation, GoGo," Andy said gruffly. "We know."

GoGo took a step back. "Then how do you propose we get ammo?"

"Raid the Reds," Calhoun mumbled, knowing it would lead them back on the same loop.

"So we have to either beat them at their own game, or throw up a white flag. Look, the Reds probably know we're coming. They're gonna be preparing, so what are we gonna do?"

Calhoun and Andy didn't respond. Instead, they stared blankly past her.

"Did you _hear_ me, or didn't—!" GoGo stopped, noticing their looks. She turned around to see what had got them so tongue-tied.

Standing casually, Hiro blocked their entrance to the tent. He blinked calmly. After a tense moment of silence, GoGo straightened. "I can see you finally got a haircut. Who did it? It's a bad job."

"Actually, I cut it myself," Hiro answered as-a-matter-of-fact as he approached them. "Sorry if it doesn't suite your taste."

"Your hair has _never_ suited my taste."

Hiro tried to resist a grin. He failed. Chuckling, he looked over the map on the table. The others backed away as if he had a disease. Hiro noticed out of the corner of his eye. "The fact that I'm still alive is freaking you out, huh?" he said, still looking down at the map.

"How in the world did you get off that island?" Calhoun barked suddenly. "We tied you up and took all your supplies! We even—!"

Hiro held up a hand. "You don't need to remind me of your _barbarities_ , I remember perfectly. Even have a few scars to prove it. As far as how we got off the island, your own carelessness and incompetence paved the way."

GoGo let out a smoldering breath. The kid knew how to get into her skin. "Why are you here? Why did you come back?"

Hiro crossed his arms and leaned against the table, looking at GoGo. He drew in a breath. "For your ears only."

"Assassination attempt?"

Hiro threw his head back and laughed.

With a grunt, GoGo nodded at the others, who left the tent grudgingly. GoGo leaned her elbows against the table. "Okay. They're gone. What's so important that it's for my ears only?" she snapped.

"GoGo, did you look in Vanellope's sock?"

She blinked at such an odd question. "What?"

Hiro pulled out a USB drive and tossed it in the air, catching it with a swipe. His fingers missed and it fell to the ground. But before GoGo could swoop in and take it, Hiro grabbed it and dusted it off. "This has been hiding in her boot for a while. It's all the information about the Cybugs that we got from Ishioka."

"Who?"

"Never mind. Anyway, GoGo. Listen. You need to listen to me."

"I'm listening."

"No, you're _not_! Can you hear yourself? Your voice! You're already so intent on shutting me down that you aren't even ready to hear it!"

"Just _say_ it!"

Hiro sighed. "The facility on the island. Ishioka was the man who ran it. He's been creating Cybugs and he's been upgrading them so he can send a wave of them to the mainland. GoGo, the numbers he has? They're _massive_! Immense! There's no way you could take them down alone! You need allies! Numbers—!"

GoGo held up her hand. "I don't know what happened to you, but you're touched in the head. And I'm not going to stand around here listening to you rattle your tongue off about something that's not even—"

"LISTEN!" Hiro roared. "Why would I make this up!? It's happening and it's real! You need to prepare _now_ , or risk being wiped off the face of the earth! What do you want?!"

"I want you _out_ of this tent right—"

"I'm not leaving until I can't _make_ you see this! You'd be blind not to!"

GoGo glowered at Hiro, who shook with trembling rage. "Hiro, if our experiences together in the past haven't said anything to you…then I'll tell you again. I don't like you. I never liked you. I don't like your ideas, I don't like how you hang around my sister, I don't like your brother, and I don't like how you're turning my gang members against me. Now why would I have a sudden change of heart and listen to you?" she asked, throwing her hands up in the air.

Hiro didn't move. "GoGo, I didn't turn them against you. I gave them a choice to stand still or take action. What they chose has nothing to do with me. And now, I'll list the reasons why you should listen to me." He started to rattle off his fingers. "One, because I have proof. I've seen it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. Two, yes. I've lied. I've lied to you about my aunt, and I'm sure I've lied about other things. But those were to save my family and friends. Lying to you right now would mean not only the death of them, but of all of us. Three, even if I don't like you either, that's no excuse to leave one thirds of what's left of the population of San Fransokyo to be killed. Four, I know what I'm talking about. Five, why would I go through everything we did out there and come back to tell you a lie about a Cybugs wave? Six…because you need to, GoGo. I always thought you were unreasonable. Unreasonable beyond belief. But I know that even though I think you're unreasonable, you're smart enough to do the right thing, even if it means working with some idiotic, rebellious, impetuous, pig-headed, self-righteous, know-it-all jerk like me."

GoGo blinked as he breathed heavily, trying to catch a breath. There was only silence between them. The kid looked earnest. She had never seen him this earnest about something _ever_. This could be a ploy…but she had no evidence of that. Even the kid deserved the benefit of the doubt. Still, her anger and pride held her back from speaking. So instead, she tried to even her breathing. Then, she finally mustered her words. "If you have proof, show me," she said finally.

Hiro straightened, trying to read GoGo's face. For once, she looked different. She was tired. Worn. Angry, but hurt. Straining to keep her image. Prideful, but threatening to break. It was as if her outer shell was breaking and he could see a glimpse inside. He let out a sigh and drew in a breath. "It's on the thumb drive."

( 0—0 )

"And as soon as that's done, he's going to muster them all, empty his cesspits, and send them all to the mainland," Hiro finished.

GoGo bent over his shoulder, looking at the computer monitor. Felix watched them nervously, moving all the glass jars away from them as he continued to clean his tent in a semi-casual fashion.

Andy, Calhoun, Wasabi, and Vanellope sat nearby, trying to listen to the conversation, but failing.

GoGo straightened. "And what's his motive?" she asked.

Hiro sighed and ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. "We don't know," he admitted grumpily. "We just know that he's a madman who seems to be bent on hammering down the last nail sticking up. He wants to establish his foothold of power on the mainland, but…we don't know why."

GoGo opened her mouth to speak. "So, I'm supposed to be concerned about a lunatic on a coastal island who wants to extinguish humanity with his robots, and so he's sending a wave of upgraded Cybugs to the mainland to wipe us off the face of the earth, which will somehow ensure his domain." She sucked in a breath. "I'm not sure I'm buying it, Hamada."

Hiro groaned and clutched his face in his hands. "GoGo, honestly, if I were you, I wouldn't care about his motives! If he wanted to kill us all, that'd would get _me_ worried as heck! Why are you so concerned about his motives? His motives don't matter! It's what he's going to do and what will happen if he succeeds that matters. Get it?"

With a stressed sigh, GoGo sat down on Felix's table and rubbed her temples. "Hiro, I…look. _If_ this were actually happening, what would you propose we do to stop it?"

"Well, for starters, the beacon. It's the only thing that can transmit the shut-down signal. I have blueprints for it on the USB. I can build it from scratch. Then, I can use that to shut down the Cybugs. It'll take some time, though. It's complicated."

"You're gonna start working on it right away. I'm not accepting any excuses."

"Roger that. I trust the junk tent is still around?"

"You bet."

"I'll pull some scrap from there, then. But I'm not done yet."

GoGo sighed. "What else?"

"You'll need allies. Increase your numbers. I'd appeal to the other two gangs. Try and get us all to work things out. Fight the greater evil."

"Appeal to them, huh? I'm not sure you got the memo, the Greens are desperate as starving wolves, the Reds are hoarding everything, and they're not gonna play nice. I'm sure if the Greens got the chance, they'd demolish the Reds. How am I supposed to appeal to those two?"

Hiro stood up. "Well, I mean, you don't know nearly as much as I do about this situation. Let me do the talking. I can work something out."

"YOU!" GoGo laughed. "Why would they listen to a scrawny kid like you?"

"Because I have seen this first-hand. I know what I'm talking about, and plus, they have no hard feelings aimed at me. Think about it. You're the leader of their rivals. Do you think they'd want to listen to you? They'd be more willing to listen to a neutral party, someone they don't know, never seen before, have no animosity against. It would help things by a lot."

GoGo pursed her lips. "Right. And even if we do get us all together…who's to say it won't all end in a shoot-out?"

"Trust me," Hiro grinned. "I can be _very_ persuasive."

GoGo gave a little knowing nod. "I'd like to see you try."

"I persuaded you to listen to me, didn't I?"

Crossing her arms, GoGo looked at her feet. "Guys, out," she ordered. The others scrambled out of the tent quickly. GoGo sighed. "You know I don't like stepping down to you."

"I…picked that up."

"If I'm to go along with you…for the sake of my image as head. You understand. Help me out here, Hiro. Make it look like I won."

Hiro nodded. "If it'll help."

"What are your terms for this truce?" GoGo asked.

"Let me do the talking, I'll call on you if needed, we'll let the heads bring two others with them, me not included. We'll lay weapons down, probably, and…if it all ends in a shoot-out, I'll be responsible."

GoGo nodded. "For the record, I normally wouldn't listen to you in the first place…but you are right about one thing," she said as she slid off the table. "I'm not unreasonable and arrogant to the point where I wouldn't work with rivals and other opponents for the good of us all. At least, when things get this extreme."

Hiro smiled. "I'm glad to hear it," he said.

"But for the sake of the others waiting outside," GoGo said as she dusted her hands. "Let's do some arguing for them to hear."

"Let me guess. Make it look like you win?"

"I still want to keep up my image."

"By all means."

( 0—0 )

"Look at my nephew, so tall, and handsome, and _ah_ , so grownup!" Aunt Cass exclaimed as she straightened Hiro's jacket. "But I'm glad you cut your hair. I want you to look presentable in front of all those people." Her smile faded and she held Hiro by the shoulders, a distant look in her eyes. She sighed. "I feel like you're growing up too fast. Yesterday, you were asking me to push you on the swing, and now you're getting ready to negotiate with gangs. You're ultimately holding the fate of humanity in your hands."

Hiro looked down as Cass squeezed his shoulders. He sighed, unsure of what to say. He felt gentle fingers cup his face, lifting his gaze up.

Aunt Cass's green eyes shimmered, moist. She tried a smile. "I love you sweetie."

Hiro nodded and placed his hands over Cass's. "I love you, too," he murmured.

Aunt Cass quickly kissed him on his cheek and dusted his jacket again. "Alright! Well, you don't want to be late! Go! What are you waiting for! Go, go, go!" she said and shooed him out of the tent.

Hiro ducked and stepped into the sunlight, right into Tadashi. "Ready?" his older brother asked.

Hiro nodded and let out a nervous breath. "Yeah."

They started for the vehicle tent, where they found Diana, Vanellope, GoGo, Calhoun, and Andy. They joined the group, where Di instantly rushed over to him. "Hiro! Hey, man! You're okay!" She grabbed Hiro in a hug and swung him around, squeezing. "I was stressing over you! So bad! Aaaaugh, you're okay! Oh, I'm so glad. Oh man." She set him down.

Hiro let out a breath, straightening his jacket with an embarrassed chuckle. "Are you coming?"

"Nah. I'm not the diplomatic type. It'll be you, GoGo, Calhoun, and Andy. And honestly," she let out a puff, "I can't say I envy you."

Hiro nodded. "I know, right?"

"But still! Give it your best shot. After all, that's all we can do, isn't it?" Di patted his shoulder. "Good luck, boy. You'll do fine."

Giving her a thankful smile, he turned to Vanellope. "Hey—"

"Hey, come on! We're going now!" Calhoun called.

Hiro and Vanellope paused, but finally relented, taking a step back. Hiro nodded apologetically to her and joined the others, jumping into the back seat of the jeep with Andy and slamming the door closed after him.

"Hey, GoGo!" Tadashi called.

GoGo turned her head to look at him questioningly, as Hiro popped his head out the window to see if his brother was going to get an over-protective urge last minute.

Tadashi pointed a finger. "You watch him for me! Got it?"

GoGo said nothing. Then she gave the slightest hint of a grin, giving him a firm nod. "Will do."

Hiro chuckled and ducked back into the jeep.

When the jeep finally sped off into the distance, Tadashi, Diana, and Vanellope were left to watch them go. Diana sighed. "There they go."

"I hope they'll be alright," Tadashi murmured, holding a fist to his mouth.

"Ah, of course they will!" Di jumped. "Hiro's the charmer! He'll have all those gang heads swooning to serve him in a minute!"

Vanellope threw back her head in a laugh. When she finished, the let out a wheezy sigh which ended in a hum. "I dunno. He's also able to rile someone up in a second."

"Oh. Oh yeah…that-that's true…" Diana nodded in agreement.

Tadashi crossed his arms. "And we'll have no idea what's gonna happen."

Vanellope reached out her arms and hugged him around the waist. "They'll be okay, right?" she said hopefully.

Tadashi smiled and put an arm around her. "Yeah."

Di finished and slung her arms around both of them. "They will."

( 0—0 )

"Alright, listen up! We're gonna do a rundown over our schedule!" GoGo called from the wheel. "We're gonna head down to the mall and meet up in the center square. If the other heads are punctual, they'll be there, too. Under _no circumstances_ are you guys to interfere with Hiro when he's talking! Got it?"

Calhoun and Andy nodded solemnly. "Yeah."

"Good. You will not shoot or make any threatening move unless I say so. I have a feeling these guys won't be in a very willing mood. Anything aggressive could tip them off. And Hiro," she called back.

Hiro perked up. "Yeah?"

" _Don't_ get cocky. Check everything before it comes out of that impetuous mouth of yours, got it?"

Hiro nodded. "Got it."

Satisfied with his answer, GoGo let out a breath and settled back into her chair. "Then pray that this goes well," she huffed.

After some time, their jeep finally slowed to a halt in an empty lot. They quietly got out and made their way across the lot, there a large building entrance loomed ahead. Hiro recognized it as the mall entry way to the food court. He had never gone there often, but he did remember the delicious smells that used to waft by his nose every time Aunt Cass took him and Tadashi. The group pushed past the swinging doors and boots clacked on a dirty, tiled floor. Around them, tables and chairs were thrown into a fray, while one chunk of the far wall was ripped out. The different booths were also in quite a state. Hiro could just barely make out a Chick-fil-A neon smashed beneath a load of rubble. Treading carefully, they passed a number of broken booths until they came to a hallway, a fork.

"Which way?" Andy asked.

"Right," Calhoun replied stiffly.

"I didn't know you used to come to the mall before, Tamora," GoGo joked.

Calhoun turned red and growled, glaring at them ominously over her shoulder. "Surprised?"

They dropped the subject.

After a little more walking, they finally came into a clearing. There was a large, square rug in the middle, with a few sparsely placed chairs, some on either side of a small table. Above them, the glass roof peaked upward. White light shone down on the setting, cozy, if it weren't for the rubble and debris lying around it. Hung by wires, big square-shaped lantern-like decorations hung in the area above them. A potted plant rested nearby, a few of its leaves ripped, and an nonfunctional water fountain sat further down the hall. The clearing was surrounded with four different hallways.

GoGo looked back the way they came and let out a low breath. "Wait here," she said barely above a whisper."

Obeying, they crouched behind some rubble and lied low.

It wasn't long before they heard footsteps. A man strode into view, two women on flanking his sides. He was tall, tan, with dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail at his neck. Stubble covered his chin and his dark eyes glanced around. One woman had dyed red hair, and the other was blonde. The man laughed. "They're late." His army vest sported two red patches on his shoulders. The women also had red patches on their jackets. "It's an ambush, ladies."

GoGo stood up quickly, arms held out. "There's no ambush," she called out.

The three turned to her quickly, guns held high. The froze when they saw her. "Oh. So maybe this time you might actually keep your word," the man said and lowered his gun. The women did the same. "Where are the rest of your thugs?" he asked snidely, chin in the air, looking around for anyone who might leap out of the shadows.

"I wouldn't call them thugs. They're better looking than _your_ whores."

The man clicked his tongue. "They are not _whores_ , but in fact, very accomplished ladies. I would not bring _whores_ to protect me if I had any, which I don't." Nevertheless, the man slung his arm casually around the blonde women.

GoGo sneered. "Whores, adorers, dogs." She waved for the others. However, when her hand hung by her side, she held out only two fingers.

Andy and Calhoun stepped out joining her side. Hiro felt Andy give him a firm squeeze on the shoulder as he left. He took it as a sign to stay put for the time being.

"Ah, that's better," the man smiled. "But I hope you have a good reason for this."

"It's good," GoGo replied. "But we need to wait for the Greens."

"Where are those other yellow-bellied skulks?" the man spat, looking around. "I don't have time for this."

"We're here," a voice called out. They all turned.

A black woman stepped out of the shadows. Her muscular dark arms held a gun, while another black man and an Asian girl stood by her. The woman's dark hair was braided into many strands, pulled up into a ponytail. The man was bald, and the Asian girl had long brown hair. "But if anyone is the skulk, it's her." The woman pointed an accusing finger at GoGo. "We saw the boy when we approached." Her voice was deep with a Jamaican accent. A neon green earring glinted at the nape of her neck.

GoGo nodded. "True enough." She waved behind her.

Slowly, Hiro stood up and joined her.

The tan man sucked in a breath when he saw him. "I thought the rule was _two_ others. Not three."

"He doesn't count," GoGo said simply, nodding her head at him.

"He is the height of a pencil and just as thin," the black woman called. "Still, you broke your own rules."

"He _doesn't count_. He's just here to talk."

"To what now?" the man asked.

"He's the one who's gonna tell you everything."

"Why? Because _you_ can't?" The black woman rebutted.

GoGo took a deep breath and let it out. "It's a long story. I suggest we take a seat and then let the kid explain."

"It's better than sitting here gawking," the man said and strode over the square, taking a seat promptly, crossing his legs. He tossed his gun onto the floor. His sidekicks did the same. The others slowly sank into the other chairs, laying down their arms down in the center of the rug. However, there were only six chairs. The gang heads took up three, while half of their goons took the other seat and the other half stood by. Hiro looked around awkwardly before quickly taking a seat on the dirty carpet, stiffly crossing his legs.

"You all know me. These are Calhoun and Andy." GoGo gestured to the two behind her. "But somebody here doesn't know you guys, so why don't you introduce yourselves?"

Hiro glanced up at her, waiting for her to introduce him, but she didn't.

"Tauni," the black woman said, tossing some tiny braids over her shoulder. "My companions are Tyler and Eimi."

"But you can just call me Ty," the man said good naturedly.

The two women turned to the man. He huffed. "I'm Gakuto. These two lovely ladies by my side are Mina," he gestured to the red-head, "and Harper." The blonde tossed her head. "Now who's the boy?" Gakuto asked, leaning forward in his chair with his chin on his hand. His eyes widened at Hiro. "Don't tell me. You finally hooked up with someone."

" _NO_!" GoGo roared, clutching the rest of her chair so hard the leather started to rip. "He's _not_ my son! Unlike _you_ , I have more important things to attend to, such as the safety of my gang. I put pleasure _after_ priority."

Gakuto made stuck out his lip. "Don't treat me like such a pervert, GoGo. Let's not forget, out of all three of us, _I'm_ the one who is thriving."

"I did _not_ come here to listen to you two bicker all day!" Tauni spoke up, straightening in her seat. "If this all you two intend to do, I will excuse myself."

GoGo let out a breath. "You're right." She nodded at Hiro.

He gulped. "My name is Hiro. I'm 15," he said finally.

"15, eh? Quite young, and too old to be GoGo's son," Gakuto remarked. "How is it that some superb, upstanding boy such as yourself, acquired such information that was so important that it had to be shared with us? Please. Enlighten me."

Hiro drew in a breath and launched into his story. A few times, the skeptical Gakuto or Tauni would interrupt him to ask a question, to which he would reply to the best of his ability. When he finished, he clutched his ankles, knuckles white. He glanced between the two gang heads, wondering what their verdict would be.

Gakuto nodded. "Right. So…we're relying on the word of a 15-year-old boy. Why should we listen to you?"

"Why would I lie about something about this? Just to give you all a scare?" Hiro rebutted.

"Maybe a futile attempt to get us to join forces," Tauni guessed from her perch. "It has been about a year. The younger generation could be getting desperate and impatient."

"You could ask my brother! Or my friends! They'll back up what I'm saying!"

"How do we know they're not lying, telling us what you put into their mouths?" Tauni countered again.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Hiro stood up. "Why won't you just _believe_ me! I'm not lying! I hardly know you guys, and I probably don't like a lot of you, but I don't want to see you all sitting around while a wave of Cybugs kills you all! You've got to believe me! Please! If we don't join our forces, we don't stand a chance!" He paused for a breath. " _Unite or die_."

Gakuto nodded with a grin. "Ben Franklin."

Tauni glanced over at him. "You all seem to enjoy your American history, but what I want to know is why you shouldn't stab us in the back when we join. After all, we are the ones struggling."

"You see, trust goes both ways, Tauni," GoGo said. "This isn't gonna work unless we go all in."

"You have a point, milady," Gakuto smiled.

" _Don't_...call me that," GoGo hissed.

"Whatever you wish, your highness."

"Can we stop getting under each other's skin?" Hiro asked, losing his patience. "You two need to calm down and Gakuto, _quit_ calling her names. GoGo, don't respond."

Tauni wagged a finger at him. "Boy, I like you. What is your name again?"

"It's Hiro."

"Great. Tauni found her favorite. But that doesn't get us anywhere, except for the fact that maybe Tauni will loosen up if the kid sweet-talks her," Gakuto grumbled, slouching in his chair.

"That, Gakuto, is getting under my skin. I suggest you listen to the boy before, like GoGo, I do something I may regret."

"Careful, Tauni," Ty cautioned.

Hiro looked over at Eimi. "And you? Do you have a say in this?" he asked.

Tauni looked over at Eimi, who looked down, her dark hair spilling over her face. "Whatever Tauni says. The decision is for her to make," she said.

Hiro nodded. "Ty? What about you? And you two ladies over there? Do you have any opinions?"

Ty pursed his lips. "I think you speak truth…but I share Tauni's concerns."

"You're cute, but…I don't trust you," Harper said. "Excuse me for taking you with a pinch of salt."

"Most likely, you're just trying to get us to join so you can leach off of our supplies," drawled Mina.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, beautiful!" Gakuto said and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be too hasty. We're talking about the survival of mankind in San Fransokyo! Don't you think we can sacrifice a few bullets or MREs for that?"

"So you're in?" Hiro asked eagerly.

With a pause of fake contemplation, Gakuto pressed a finger to his chin. "Mmm…I think so. But of course, I'll have conditions."

"As will I," GoGo said. "And if Tauni decides to join, no doubt she will also have conditions."

Tauni nodded. "As you said, GoGo, trust goes both ways. I am willing to trust you…but I am not so certain about _him_." She pointed a finger at Gakuto. "He has a nefarious history of reckless conduct and distraction by women. He will cause much unnecessary strife among all of us."

Gakuto made a shocked face and placed a hand on his chest. "Tauni…"

"I share that concern," GoGo started.

"You too, GoGo—?"

" _But_...I'm willing to put aside our differences if it means getting out of this alive," she continued.

Hiro nodded in agreement. "Everyone has their differences. But it's overcoming our pride that's the real problem."

"Pride. It has always been a common issue," Tauni sighed.

"Also a major cause of clouded judgement," Gakuto shot across the room. "You know what you need to do, Tauni. _Your_ pride is just obstructing everything. I bet every second we waste, that wave of Cybugs our little friend was talking about is getting closer. I'll join GoGo…and if you want to hold them off by yourself, hey. That's fine with me. Think about it. The Reds and Blacks are grouping. You have a ticket in with us, here. If you choose not to join, it'll be two against one from here on out."

Tauni huffed. "You make a valid point." She looked down at Ty, who looked back up at her, unsure. She let out a breath and fingered one of her many braids. "I will join…but I have conditions."

GoGo nodded. "We'll all lay down our conditions and then work something out, hopefully."

As Tauni and Gakuto started to negotiate terms, Hiro looked back at GoGo, a triumphant grin on his face. She nodded back at him. Then he winked. GoGo narrowed her eyes and dismissed him.

 **I totally forgot that I hadn't update since January, guys, sorry.**

 **Thankfully, school has pretty much ended for the summer break, and you know what that means *wink wink* But I'm hoping I can spread that free time across all of my personal projects, including Hiro's Duty (I sometimes look back at the title of this fic and low-key barf but that's okay). Thankfully, I finished one chapter and started the next a little while ago, so some progress is being made. Slow progress is still progress.  
I really didn't think that this story would basically become a novel, but...it has...welp. And, of course, that's my story-telling and writing techniques to blame, haha.  
**

 **Until the next chapter, and thanks for reading~!**


	33. Chapter XXXII: Between Family and Duty

It wasn't easy at first, merging all the gangs together. Thought they were now technically one unit now, they still naturally segregated. Both Tauni and GoGo tried to keep Gakuto away from their gangs, in particular, the women. Gakuto caught on quickly and then put up a big stink about it. The three argued and finally agreed that they'd trust him, but if he got out of hand, they'd hold him accountable. Whenever the three were seen together, they were bickering.

What was worse, they'd have to put up with this from now on. They had packed up their camps and decided to move inland, to avoid any threat of being backed up against the sea. It was the first time in a while that they'd moved. Cars were packed, tents torn down and folded up, personal belongings all stashed in bags.

Hiro stuck his head out of the top of the open jeep, looking behind them. A massive caravan of cars and trucks stretched behind him, most lugging along trailers. He could feel the sandy wind up against his neck.

"Hiro, sit _down_!" Wasabi scolded. "Do you think your aunt would want you to do that? That's dangerous!"

With a groan, Hiro sunk back down into his seat. "Okay! Okay, fine," he grumbled.

"Wasabi's concerns are completely valid, Hiro," Baymax said from the backseat. "There are many hazards to standing up in a moving vehicle. I suggest you sit down and buckle your seat belt."

With a roll of his eyes, Hiro pulled the seat belt across his chest and clicked it into the buckle.

Wasabi looked over at him. "Feeling tart?"

Hiro let out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "Sort of. I'm just a little…anxious," he admitted in a puff.

"What about?"

"Are we gonna _make it_ on time? I feel like we're moving so slow!"

"Well, you can be sure GoGo is in the front. But we're moving at a quick, smooth, and yet _reasonable_ pace. Have some patience," Wasabi said as he steered the car.

"I can't help but feel the time, too," Francis admitted from the backseat.

"But it helps when you've got a walking marshmallow to keep you company," Jordan exclaimed and gestured to Baymax, squished next to them.

"Yeah, just remember that you're not the one getting suffocated over here," Tadashi muttered, squished up against Baymax and the window.

"I apologize if my size is causing you discomfort," Baymax said and turned to him. "I can release some air, if that would help, Tadashi."

"No, no, that's fine," Tadashi protested. "Well…maybe a little bit."

A high-pitched whine shortly filled the car.

Wasabi sighed. "Stuck in a car full of boys and a robot."

Hiro laughed. "I'm just glad I called shotgun."

"I'm just glad I got to ride in a car with AC instead of on a trailer in the sun," Francis added.

A moment of silence passed up front as the boys in the back continued to chatter softly. Hiro glanced over at Wasabi. "So…what are we going to do once we _get_ there?" he asked.

With a shrug, Wasabi veered the jeep left as it followed the flow of the caravan. "My first guess is set up camp."

"I know that. I mean, what's the first step in setting up our defenses?"

"You really _are_ anxious, aren't you?"

Hiro looked back out the window. "Well…it's just that we have no idea when the wave is going to hit us. If we're caught unprepared…we're done for."

Wasabi nodded. "We'll have time."

Hiro groused. "Well, you're on GoGo's elite team. What do you think the first step will be? No, seriously. What do you think?"

There was no answer as the man pursed his lips in thought, trying to find a good reply to Hiro's question. With a breath, he opened his mouth. "We'll probably plan out the border and post scouts and lookouts."

"And then?"

Wasabi chuckled. "Boy…"

"No! Seriously! I mean it! What next?"

"I know you mean it! But relax!"

Hiro slumped against his chair again.

"We'd probably select leaders and divide our numbers into squads. Then we'd plan out our strategies. Are you satisfied now?"

"Yeah. For now," Hiro nodded.

Wasabi let out a breath. "So! How is that beacon GoGo's got you working on? Coming along nicely?"

Hiro scoffed. "Eh, not that nicely. Most of the vital pieces I need I couldn't find in the scrap tent, which led to…well…I had to dismantle my phone," Hiro grumbled. "And take a few parts out of my computer."

"Do you want a computer and a phone, or a chance to preserve humanity?"

Hiro looked out the window. "You don't have to remind me. I know."

"But still, it's…it'll be done soon, right?"

Hiro grinned. "Now _you're_ starting to sound worried."

"Well, if that thing isn't finished in time, the Cybugs can't be stopped!"

"The beacon's gonna need more time."

When Wasabi left it at that, more empty silence commenced between the two. A few minutes passed, the rev of the jeep's engine the only thing Hiro focused on in the background. Then he finally looked up at the man. "Hey…Wasabi."

"Yes?"

"You…" Hiro licked his lips and looked down, letting his bangs cover his eyes. "Do you think this is going to work?"

Unflinching, Wasabi took in a breath. "What do you mean?"

"Will…will all this…I mean, if we put everything we possibly have into holding off this wave…do you think this could work?"

"What do you think?"

"I asked you."

"But it sounds like _you're_ the one having trouble knowing where you stand."

Hiro paused. Quickly, he looked back out the window. "What…" he stopped himself. His brows furrowed slightly as he searched himself. He finally realized that he didn't know himself. "I thought it'd work…but if I'm questioning myself…I'm not sure anymore," he admitted. "I…I honestly don't know."

Wasabi said nothing.

The silence set Hiro on edge. "Well? You're turn."

Wasabi bit his lip. "I don't know either. I don't think anyone knows."

"God knows," Hiro muttered grumpily.

Wasabi smiled. "You shouldn't dwell on it too much. It'll eat you up before the Cybugs even get here."

Hiro sighed and looked out the window. "How long is this gonna take?"

"Hiro, did you hear I think I said?"

"Yeah! I did! I know, but…it's just that this drive is taking so long!"

"Patience."

Hiro felt his eyelids droop. "I'm running low."

"Then get some more."

Hiro blinked. _You don't just_ get _patience_ , he thought, but decided to keep his mouth closed. He was probably driving Wasabi insane. He sucked in a breath. "Who do you think will be the leaders of the squads?" he asked.

"I know GoGo, Tauni, and Gakuto will definitely be leaders," Wasabi replied. "They'll probably appoint their trusted heads and GoGo will probably appoint…well, probably Calhoun. And Andy."

"You?"

"Well…" Wasabi shrugged half-heartedly. "Yeah…maybe me."

"You don't sound enthusiastic."

"Do you want to be responsible for the lives of 40 or more men and women? Do you want to be the one to lead them into battle and almost certain death?"

Hiro looked down. "No…I don't think anyone does. But you don't want to do it. Could she take that into consideration?"

Wasabi made a noise between a moan and a grunt, implying a 'maybe.' "But if she does call me up…I'll go. Even if it's gonna be bloody." He shuddered. " _Blood_ …"

"But…" Hiro started, "You should at least be allowed to protest."

Wasabi shook his head. "No."

"What? Why?"

"Well, I could be allowed…" Wasabi turned the jeep to follow the road. "But even if I was, I wouldn't."

"Why?" Hiro asked, baffled.

"I'd be disrespecting my elder."

"She's like, what? Five? Seven years younger than you?"

"Let me correct myself. I'd be disrespecting my _leader_."

Hiro blinked. "Yeah but…" he stopped.

"But…?" Wasabi prodded slowly.

With a small shake of his head, Hiro looked away. "N…nothing."

Wasabi grinned. "I can't just back out of something just because I don't want to do it. If she tells me to do it, I'll do it."

Hiro let out a breath. "Okay," he said quietly.

( 0—0 )

Panting, Hiro and Tadashi raced up the steps of the dusty staircase, their stomps echoing back and forth. "Oh shoot, oh shoot, oh shoot, I bet we're late," Tadashi gasped as he ran, trying to watch where he was stepping. The staircase was shrouded in darkness, with only a shred of the afternoon sunlight filtering through. Dust particles swarmed in the beams that fell upon the stairs.

"At least I'm not gonna be the one to explain to GoGo," Hiro added, trying to keep up with his brother. He rasped and slowed, leaning against the rail as the stairs curved. He wiped his forehead and neck, chest heaving.

Tadashi looked down at him. "Bro, come on!"

Hiro bent over and held up a finger. "Go…go, I'll catch up." With his hair over his face, he could hear Tadashi's steps as he raced on. But the patient steps slowly grew louder. He looked up to see Tadashi slowly descending the stairs towards him. "Go! We'll be late!"

"It's fine," Tadashi said and leaned against the rail next to him. "I can wait."

Hiro straightened and nodded. "Thanks. I'm good now."

Tadashi nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

Together, they started to jog up the steps. Looking up, Hiro saw the door they were supposed to enter. They stumbled over to it, slammed their hands against the handle, and pushed it open.

Standing around a table in the center of the room, GoGo, Tauni, Gakuto, Calhoun, Andy, and the others cohorts looked up to see them burst in. "Sorry we're late, GoGo!" Tadashi cried and quickly bowed. Hiro did an awkward leaning forward, much less graceful than Tadashi. "We got the message late and then we lost our way. Kind of. We needed to ask where you were."

"Well, you're here now. Come over here," GoGo waved them over.

The room looked like it used to be an apartment, only the wall on the right side had a hole knocked into it, so the setting sun shone into the room with all of its orange brilliance. The floor was covered in dust, as were the remnants of the furniture that were scattered around, most of which was pushed to the edge of the room. It was dark in the corners, where the sunlight couldn't reach.

Obligingly, the two came over. A shabby piece of cloth was lain across the tabletop with crude ashen markings streaked across it. It finally came to Hiro that is was a map of the city, stretching a little way out into the wilderness.

"A scouting party just came back from the western quarter of the city. Have you all been there?" GoGo asked.

"Briefly, just poking around the edge by accident," Hiro answered.

"It's been a Cybug _breeding orgy_ the past month," Gakuto explained. "We had to avoid that place at all costs. I mean literally, you could find huge lots completely _stuffed to the gills_ with Cybug eggs. Also, the things have been creeping around there a lot of late." He swore under his breath.

"The scouting party that came back with some disturbing reports…" GoGo trailed off and looked up at Tauni.

Tauni drew in a breath. "The enter quarter has been emptied."

"What?" Tadashi asked breathlessly.

"The _entire quarter_ was found completely vacant of Cybugs and their eggs. It is almost like they vanished," Tauni nodded. "In fact, there has been no reports of Cybug activity since last week. This is what we find most disturbing."

"But this should be good news, right?" Tadashi asked.

Gakuto and Tauni shared wavering glances. GoGo pursed her lips in their agreement. "It's fishy."

Hiro drew in a quick breath. "You…you don't think…maybe Ishioka has something to do with this, do you?"

"What are you getting at?" Tadashi asked suddenly.

Hiro bit his lip. "I'm just thinking…Ishioka controls the Cybugs. He must have some sort of recall function to call them back. Or…something. Maybe a 'force-hatch' button, I don't know."

Tauni sported a worried look on her face. "Finish your thought."

"If I were Ishioka," Hiro wagged a finger. "I'd call them back, upgrade them, and add them to the army of Cybugs that he's upgraded with my DNA."

The three gang heads looked at each other, faces growing dark. "I've never met that guy, but I really wanna beat the crap out of him," Gakuto said and swore again.

"So this brings us back to the primary question," GoGo continued. "We've decided that we're dividing our forces as a whole into three ranks. The primary, secondary, and reserves. We'll send each one in whenever we need reinforcements. In each rank, there'll be three squads. The heads will make up the primary rank. We've also already appointed Andy, Ty, Calhoun, and a few others as squad captains." GoGo folded her arms and turned to them. "And I want you two to be squad captains as well."

Tadashi snapped his head to Hiro. "G…GoGo, he's only fifteen."

She held up her hand. "I know, I know. That's why I'm _asking._ But before you answer, hear me out." She took in a breath. "Tadashi, I want you to lead a squad in the secondary rank. We'll use flares to signal whenever we need backup, if ever. Chances are we will. As for Hiro, I want to place him in the reserves, only to be called out if we _really_ need help. And I'll respect your choices if you refuse…but I want _you_ to lead that reserves squad," she said as she turned to Hiro.

"I was not sure of her choice," Tauni admitted.

"But she's probably got a lot of trust in a bugger like you to ask you to be a squad capt," Gakuto grinned.

Hiro frantically looked to Tadashi for guidance, but his brother refused to meet his eyes. Instead, he only let out a breath. "He can make the choice himself," he murmured. Hiro noticed that Tadashi's fist clenched as he straightened and backed away from the table.

Instantly, Hiro panicked. He appreciated Tadashi giving him his space…but this? _This_?! He needed help on this one! But if he asked, he'd look so stupid! He wanted to be grownup, right? He could handle tough decisions. Just _maybe not this one._ What was he supposed to say? No _way_ did he want to lead a squad! But if he refused, his conscience wasn't going to leave him alone. And what insane idea made GoGo think that _he_ was fit to lead a squad?!

"Hiro, calm down," GoGo said quickly. "Just think it over."

Apparently, his frustration and panic had been showing on his face. He could feel his face muscles tense and grow hot, and he could only imagine what color it was. Even Tadashi was looking at him worriedly. Hiro let out a breath. "Uhm…" Struggling for words, he finally realized that too much time had passed since his 'uhm' that it had now become awkward. He kept his gaze trained on the table, unsure where to look. "What…make you think… _I_ would be a good captain?" he started.

GoGo drew in a breath. "You've got gut," she said curtly.

The sharpness of her words drew him back to the time when he had gotten promoted. She had used those words before. Hiro looked back at the map on the table. "But…why would a bunch of men and women follow me? I'm…I-I-I'm just a fifteen-year-old kid. I don't have any battle experience."

"It's just the reserves, kid. Nothing too glamorous," Gakuto reminded. "Little chance of any big light-em-ups."

"You should expect the worse, Gakuto," Tauni murmured. "It will make anything slightly better that much sweeter."

GoGo crossed her arms. "Do you _not_ want to lead?"

"It's understandable if you don't," said Gakuto again.

Hiro chewed his lip nervously. "Well, who _would_?" he asked. "I don't want to lead in battle. It's scary, okay? I mean…" he stopped.

He sounded like Wasabi, didn't he?

"Go on," GoGo nodded.

There was no response. Hiro planted his palms on the table and hung his head, arching his back. His eyes were still trained on the wood of the table. _This is different_ , he told himself. _She's giving you a choice. She's not commanding you. There's no shame in backing down. You are only a kid after all. They'll understand._ Was it different? GoGo _was_ giving him a choice. Here, it was left up to him. He didn't have to respect anyone except himself. His word would be final. "You…you want me to lead…?" he started slowly, voice wavering.

GoGo nodded again. "You would make a good leader. If you think otherwise, speak up."

Tadashi glanced over at his brother to see what would happen.

Hiro pursed his lips. The air hung around them, saturated with silence. Dust particles floated around them in the beams of the setting sunlight. "I don't think anyone can be a _good_ leader. You can only be good enough. And if you think I'm good enough…then I'll respect your decision." He straightened, still looking down. "If you want me to lead the reserves, then I'll lead."

Gakuto made a silent whistle and turned to Tauni with a surprised face. GoGo didn't flinch. "You're sure?" she asked in a low voice. "Don't do something you'll regret."

Hiro nodded slowly, hands clenching into fists. "I'll do it."

GoGo nodded and reached under the table. When her hand reemerged, it was gripping a strip of bright blue cloth. She bundled it and tossed it to him, tossing another one to Tadashi. "Then you'll be added to the roster. You'll find out who's in your squad tomorrow."

Hiro caught the cloth in his fist. He looked at it. "Blue?"

"What do want it to be, camo?" Gakuto scoffed.

"It needs to stand out," Tauni explained.

Hiro nodded. "Wrist band?"

"Head band," GoGo tapped her forehead. "It's more visable."

Hiro nodded and stuck the cloth into his jacket pocket. "Okay."

"Report here in the morning for your squad specifications," GoGo said. "Hiro, how is the beacon coming?"

Hiro licked his lips. "It's not gonna be done today."

"Hiro, tomorrow is when the Cybugs are estimated to arrive."

"I know, okay? I know! It's complicated! It's not just screwing and welding! I…look, I think I can get it finished by tomorrow afternoon. If the ranks can hold until then, I can shut them down with the beacon as soon as it's done."

GoGo narrowed her eyes. "There won't be time for tests, Hiro. Get it done right."

"Yes ma'am."

GoGo nodded. "You're dismissed."

As Tadashi bowed and walked to the door, Hiro copied his example. He passed GoGo, stopping for a brief second to give her a grim look before following Tadashi out the door.

GoGo watched it close after them. Her brows furrowed slightly. She couldn't tell if Hiro's look was one of reluctance or of uncertainty.

( 0—0 )

"Hiro!"

The boy looked up from the blue cloth in his hand to see Vanellope wave as she came up to him. He stood up from the ground, dusted his pants off, and quickly tucked the cloth away into his pocket. Reaching above his head, he intertwined his fingers and pretended to stretch. "Yeah?"

"I saw your name was on the roster," said Vanellope as she came to a stop in front of him. "So uh…what's the best thing for you? A…a-a congratulations? Or…" she waved her hands tentatively, waiting for him to finish.

He only sighed. "I don't even know," he admitted nervously.

"Are you worried? Scared?"

"Well, yes…but that's not what's got me on edge." He rubbed the back of his neck and pursed his lips, looking away to watch some people set up tents and canopies before nightfall.

"Then what? Is it because you're in the reserves…?" she tried to guess.

Hiro let out a breath. "I haven't broken the news to Aunt Cass."

Vanellope's brown eyes widened as she caught on. "…oh."

"And I don't think she's gonna take it well," he sighed again. "Oh man…"

"Why? Is it because she thinks you're too young?"

Hiro stretched his face and narrowed his eyes. "Eeeuuugggh… _probably._ She's gonna see me as her little baby boy nephew forever. She's not gonna want to hear that he's going to lead a squad in the next few days."

"Well, you're _just_ gonna be in the reserves, right?" Vanellope offered.

Hiro nodded. "Well, there is that part. It'll probably make her _not as_ mad. But still mad."

Pursing her lips, Vanellope nodded solemnly and clasped her hands behind her back. "So how are you gonna deal with it?" she asked.

Hiro only shrugged. "Cross the bridge when I come to it."

There was a period of silence. "You know you can't wait until battle morning, Hiro."

"I didn't say I was gonna!" he rebutted. "I just—! Not now! Don't you think _I_ should get over it before telling my aunt?" He turned away with a frustrated puff.

Vanellope blinked, a reflective expression on her face. "Well…how would she take it from Tadashi?"

"Probably worse than from me."

Vanellope tried to envision Aunt Cass's reaction to Hiro leading a squad. She suddenly wished she hadn't. The picture of the sweet woman getting distraught was heart breaking. A wonderful person like her didn't deserve to be told that her nephew would, essentially, be going off to battle. "It's tough," she said finally. "And if you knew she wasn't gonna want you to go, why'd you say yes in the first place?"

"Sometimes you are too nosy," Hiro muttered under his breath.

With a flinch, Vanellope looked downward. "You could at least say that when I'm not here, you know. No need to be _excessively_ rude."

Hiro gave a pitiful skyward glance before letting out a loud, distressed moan. "I'm _sorry_! I'm sorry! I'm just—I'm just really frustrated right now!" He clutched his hair in his fists and took a seat on the ground.

Vanellope felt her face turn into a glower. She wanted to be mad at Hiro, but she really could understand what he was feeling. Yet she couldn't find anything to tell him to make him feel better. He probably didn't want to hear it anyway. She couldn't just walk away, but she couldn't find anything to say. She stared down at him and let out a breath. "So what do you want me to do?" she asked in a small voice.

Hiro pursed his lips and let out a deep breath. There was no answer on his part. Instead, Vanellope continued to stare down at him, waiting for an answer. Hiro bit his lip.

"Hey. I asked you a question," Vanellope repeated firmly.

Hiro looked up at her with an annoyed look. He opened his mouth to say something, but it hung open, empty. He wanted to tell her to go away, but he knew that would be rude. And she had a point. All his rudeness would prove was that he could be a bigger jerk than he already was. He closed his mouth. "I want a solution."

"Not everything has a solution, Hiro."

"Everything has a solution."

Vanellope winced. "Let me rephrase that. Not everything has the solution you want," she said. "Sometimes, you just need to do what has to be done."

Hiro ran his fingers through his hair. His face was contorted into a suppressed sneer, but he let out a sigh and closed his eyes. "So what do you want me to do?" he asked quietly.

"I asked you that a minute ago."

"And I want you to answer my question. What do you want me to do?"

Vanellope took a step closer. "You should tell your aunt. Don't sugarcoat it, just tell it for what it is. It's the only thing you can really do. That is…unless you go back to GoGo and resign."

Hiro took his hand off his forehead and gripped it into a fist. "I'm not going back to GoGo," he growled. "And I'm not gonna resign." He reached into his

pocket and drew out the blue headband. He clenched it firmly. "I tell her."

Vanellope pursed her lips and rocked on her heels for a silent minute. "Um…Aunt Cass doesn't actually…call you 'her little baby boy nephew'…does she?" she asked.

For a second, Hiro didn't respond. Then he let out a small puff that ended in a chuckle. "No. She doesn't."

( 0—0 )

"Okay, so the microwave goes over there on the counter, next to the stove," Cass directed, pointing over to certain areas of her designated kitchen canopy. A man lifted the microwave onto where Cass said. "Yeah, yes, right there. And could you put the cooler over there on the other side? Yes! Perfect! Thank you! And—oh! Hiro! Hi!"

Hiro tried his best smile as he entered the canopy. "Hi, Aunt Cass."

"Oh, that's perfect. There's a case of soup outside the tent, and that needs to be brought in. Could you do that?"

Looking by his foot, Hiro saw the case of soup that was mentioned, and picked it up, hefting it in his arms. He backed into the canopy, the cream of mushroom and chicken noodle slightly clacking against each other.

"Yes, thank you, sweetie. Just set it right over there. Yes, thanks," Cass said, tucking her hair behind her ears.

Hiro sucked his cheeks in, waiting for the moment to speak. "Uhm, Aunt Cass? Could I…talk with you? About something?"

"Of course. What is it you—oh! Yes, thank you! You can just set that over there," Cass quickly turned to a woman who held a countertop griddle in her arms.

With an annoyed puff, Hiro glanced around his aunt's new work space, surveying the various cans, pots, pans, boxes, and kitchen appliances littering the area. He perked to attention when Cass turned back to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hiro," she sighed, rubbing her temples with one hand and planting the other on her hip. "There's a bunch of food and stuff coming in and out and getting moved, and I'm trying to keep track of it all and organizing it all and then I need to think about feeding 500 people …" she let out a huff. "It's a little…stressful. If I had a good donut with me, you know what I'd do." She pursed her lips. "So what is it you want to talk to me about?"

Suddenly, Hiro's mouth went dry. She didn't need his news on top of everything she was dealing with now. Coughing, he held a fist to his mouth. "Yeah, uh…about that. Uh…" He ran his fingers through his hair.

"Something's eating at you," Cass chuckled. "You always do that little puff thing and ran your hand through your bangs. Come on, out with it."

That really didn't help. He gave a skyward glance before reaching into his pocket. "Aunt Cas…I…I'm going to be leading the reserves tomorrow." He let it out hurriedly.

Aunt Cass was silent for a moment. She held so still, Hiro was afraid of what would happen. His aunt lowered her hands. "You…you did _what_?!" she breathed.

Hiro sighed and held out the headband. "I'm going to be leading the reserves tomorrow. In…the fighting."

Cass's eyes immediately started to well with tears at the thought. "W…why? _Why_ , Hiro! You're only fifteen! Isn't that a war crime?"

"That's under the age of fifteen," Hiro mumbled, throwing grease onto the fire.

"You're so young! You're _too_ young! You're practically _throwing_ away the rest of your life!" She raised her voice and waved her arm in a slinging gesture.

"Aunt Cass, GoGo wanted me to lead," Hiro said earnestly.

"Oh, _GoGo_! I don't care about what GoGo says! GoGo should know _better_ than to have fifteen-year-olds leading men and women in battle! What the _heck_ is she _thinking_?!" Cass cried. "I don't care what GoGo says!" she repeated.

"She's my elder! I should respect her decision!" Hiro protested. "I can't just go and say 'nope! Nope, can't do it because I don't wanna!'" he said, using the same arm-slinging gesture his aunt used.

"And what about _me_ , Hiro? Am I chopped liver? GoGo's you're elder? She may be your elder, but _I'm_ your _aunt_. _She_ should be the one coming to _me_! She can't just recruit you without letting me know! I play a role in your life and she _can't_ ignore that!"

"She gave me a _choice_ , Aunt Cass! She didn't disrespectfully recruit me behind your—!" He abruptly stopped, eye's wide. He closed his mouth quickly and stood still.

Aunt Cass crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "She gave you a choice?" she asked slowly.

Knowing he'd let slip a whole new argument, Hiro hung his head. "…yeah."

"And you accepted."

"…yes."

"Without even coming to me."

Hiro snapped his head up to look at her. "It _wasn't_ like that! It's just…at the time, I was acknowledging her as my elder, and I had to respect her decision! That's all there was to it!"

"But there _was_ no decision, Hiro!" Cass gave an angry laugh. "She gave _you_ the choice! She couldn't stop you if you had refused!"

"And why _should_ I refuse?" Hiro snapped back, straightening. "Why _should_ I back down?" His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"Because are only a fifteen-year-old boy—"

"Because you think I'm not grown up? Maybe I can't handle Cybugs?"

"Because you _have family here who care about you_ , _Hiro_!" Aunt Cass yelled. "Family who _cares and doesn't want to see you get killed_ by _throwing away your life so rashly_! Family who will be _waiting_ for you to come back! And what if you never do come back? What if you die out there? How will that affect me and your brother? Did you even think about us when you made that decision?"

Hiro blinked, feeling his eyes shine with angry tears. He clenched his jaw and felt his muscles tense so much they hurt. "Tadashi was there."

Aunt Cass gave him a sideways glance.

"Tadashi was there when I told GoGo I'd lead the reserves," Hiro repeated. "He backed off and let me make my own choice. And he respected that choice."

Aunt Cass blinked. "He…he what?"

"I said Tadashi respected my choice."

A tear spilled over Cass's cheek. "And _he_ let you do that?"

Hiro nodded.

Cass turned and leaned against a table, looking away and hugging her elbows. Hiro saw her start to shake. A sob escaped from her lips. When she turned around again, her eyes were filled with tears and her lip trembled. "Hiro, I can't see you go out there tomorrow. Not to let you die. Your parents died, and your mother was my sister. When she died, I swore that I would look after you and Tadashi as if you were my own. What would your parents say if they could see you now? If you do this, you're not only hurting me and Tadashi…you're hurting them." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Hiro…you cannot do this."

"Aunt Cass!" Hiro started.

"Hiro Isao Hamada," Cass started. She clenched her hands and grit her teeth. "I _forbid you_ from leading the reserves." she hissed, voice dripping with venomous fury.

Hiro pulled the headband from his pocket and held it out, letting it dangle in front of him. "This is a sign. It's a sign of the promise I made to GoGo that I would lead the reserves. It's also a sign of my word. And I'm not going back on my word." He quickly pulled the cloth back and folded it, tucking it back into his pocket. "I'm not resigning."

Aunt Cass stared at him bitterly. She swiped at her eyes. "Please just leave," she murmured. "I can't be around you. Not right now."

Hiro let out a mournful breath. "I'm sorry you feel that way." He turned and quietly left the tent.

 **Oof. It's...**

 **SUMMER**

 **which means...**

 **WRITING TIME** **hopefully**

 **Thanks for hanging in here for me, guys. I'll see you on the next update~**


	34. Chapter XXXIII: Mother's Love

Hiro jerked awake with a startled gasp. He could hear his heart pumping rapidly, his body still tense. It had been a dream. He looked above him. The lantern in his tent was turned off. Nothing had been disturbed. He sat up slowly, blinking away night eyes. Turning to his side, he could make out the shape of Tadashi, breathing evenly on the cot across the tent. He froze, startled.

Tadashi's eyes were already open. "What was it?"

Hiro gulped nervously. "It was nothing. Bad dream." He rubbed his arms, looking away. "Why are you up?"

"Possibly for the same reason you're getting bad dreams," he said as he sat up as well. "Is it about tomorrow?"

"I think so. Yeah."

"Did you tell Aunt Cass about your decision?" Tadashi crossed his legs and propped his elbows on his knees.

Hiro did the same. "Yeah…" he trailed off.

Tadashi nodded, lips pursed. "Mm. My guess is she didn't take it too well."

"She took it even _worse_ than I thought!" Hiro protested.

Tadashi shushed him and held a finger to his lips.

Hiro repeated himself in a quieter tone. "She took it worse than I thought. She was in tears. I felt really bad."

"Does she know that I let you make the decision?"

Hiro nodded. "At first, she was mad at GoGo because she thought she was the one recruiting me, but then she got mad at me because I blabbed that it was my choice and it then it got…unpleasant."

Tadashi sighed. "You didn't leave her like that, did you? She really doesn't need this to think about on top of everything else she has on her plate."

Hiro bit his lips and straightened. "I…may have…" he said slowly.

With a withering groan, Tadashi rubbed his temples. "…Oh man, Hiro." When he'd taken in a deep breath, he let it out and regained his composure. "You should make it up to her."

"Dude, it's the middle of the night."

"In the morning. Just go talk to her. You shouldn't leave her with a picture of you two having an argument. It's not gonna be pretty, even if you do survive."

"I'd feel better if you'd do it."

"It's not gonna be the same coming from me, bonehead!" Tadashi hissed. "It has to come from you."

"I don't know what to say!" Hiro clutched his hair, frustrated. "I feel like if I try talking to her, it's gonna wind up bad anyway."

Tadashi nodded. "Mmm…" He looked up at Hiro. "How are you taking it?"

Hiro growled. "I'm kinda upset with her for making it such a big deal—"

"No. How are you taking it? Being the captain of the reserves?"

Hiro paused. "Oh…uh…" He licked his lips. "…I don't know."

"If you take it well, show her you're at peace with your choice, maybe she'll see it," Tadashi suggested, kicking his blankets aside to swing his legs over the side of his cot.

Hiro let out a breath. "Well…"

Tadashi gave him a sideways glance. "You…are at peace with it, right?"

Hiro said nothing as he looked down, rubbing his fingers.

Tadashi hung his head. "Hiro, don't do this if you aren't ready. Remember what GoGo said…don't do something you're going to regret."

Hiro felt his brow furrow deeper and grit his teeth. "I don't regret my decision, but I do regret…other things…"

"Finish your sentence," Tadashi instructed.

"I don't want to talk about it," rebutted Hiro as he hid his eyes behind his bangs, continuing to rub his fingers. Dead skin started to peel off. With a startled flinch, he looked up as Tadashi suddenly sat down next to him.

Tadashi stared back down at him. "Hiro, what other things?"

Hiro looked away with a scoff. "It was ages ago. It's nothing."

"Apparently, it is something if it's bothering you."

Hiro sucked in a breath and glared up at his brother. "I said I _don't_ want to talk about it," he said with as much resentment as he could muster.

Tadashi leaned away a little bit. "Okay. Then don't. But you need to fix this before tomorrow." When Hiro didn't reply, Tadashi gave a skyward glance. "How about this. Don't tell me what you're having trouble with. Just identify the feelings behind it."

Silently, Hiro continued to rub his fingers, trying to give the impression that he wasn't listening. But he was already trying to analyze himself. He hadn't saved that little girl. So what was he feeling? Regret? Probably. Anger. Regret. Maybe disappointment. "Um…anger…regret…" he started. He reached and rubbed his neck. "Disappointment at myself."

"Okay, why?"

"Because I didn't do something that I could've…that I should've."

"And why is this affecting your decision with GoGo?"

Hiro went silent once more. "Maybe I want to prove myself…maybe."

"To whom?"

"To—" he stopped. "…myself."

Tadashi nodded, having much experience with playing the role of the all-wise sage with his younger brother. "So you want…somehow eradicate your feelings of regret and shame, by proving to yourself that you can…?" he trailed off. "Finish my sentence."

Hiro let out a withering sigh, making it obvious that Tadashi was shoving him out of his comfort zone. "I dunno."

"Then think."

Hiro growled with frustration before throwing his head back. He stared at the top of their tent for a few seconds. He shook his head. "I don't know."

"Think."

"I don't _want_ to think!"

"Why?"

"Can you stop playing my psychiatrist for once?" Hiro snapped.

"I can tell you don't want to tell me," Tadashi noted.

"Yeah! Okay! I don't want to tell you! Is that unnatural?"

Tadashi hit him over the head and held a finger to his lips. "Quiet."

Hiro pursed his lips together, trying to smother the anger that was threatening to erupt from him in the form of noise. With a defiant huff, he crossed his arms and stared at the wall. He could feel Tadashi's gaze on him, but he refused to meet it. A long period of silence passed between them. Hiro was waiting for Tadashi to move back to his own bed and say that he gave up. Or something. Nothing happened. More silence passed between them. "To prove to myself that I'm…strong…" he finally spoke hesitantly, testing out the word.

Tadashi turned. "You want to prove that you're _strong_?!" he hissed.

"That was the wrong word!" Hiro jumped quickly. "Not strong! Not strong. Umm…that I can be…look, I dunno!"

"Keep going. You were going good."

Hiro looked down and rubbed his fingers again. "To…to prove that I can be a…a-a good person…at heart…"

"Why? How did the action you didn't do make you feel like that?"

"Because…the fact that I _didn't_ do it…makes me look…heartless. I keep thinking about it, and I wish…I really wish I _had_ done it. I regret that I didn't." Hiro sighed softly and let his hands rest. "That was it."

Nothing was said between them. Instead, Tadashi fell onto his back with a breath, stroking his chin. "And by leading a squadron in battle, you'll somehow redeem yourself. Man…" he started. "Okay."

"I know it's stupid," Hiro muttered.

Tadashi sat up quickly. "No. Hiro, no, it's not stupid. I can understand why you feel like that. Since you didn't do something for someone—I'm assuming…?" he stopped. Hiro nodded. "You feel that serving like this, in which case, fighting for most of humanity to terminate all Cybugs, will release the regret you've been harboring."

Hiro nodded. "Yeah. That. I guess."

"And…are you at peace with it?"

Hiro shrugged. "Define 'at peace.'"

"Content with your decision, willing, have no hard feelings against…want to?" Tadashi offered.

"It's not that I want, but it's not that I _don't_ want to…exactly. Like, I know I don't want to, but it's like something that you just gotta do."

"So you're willing."

Hiro nodded again. "I guess."

"You're using 'I guess' a lot, I've noticed."

Hiro scoffed. "Be lucky I'm talking at all."

Tadashi took in a slow breath. "I think you're just uneasy about Aunt Cass."

Hiro groaned and shoved his fingers up his bangs, falling back onto his cot. "Yeah," he mumbled beneath his hands. "But uneasy is putting it mildly."

Tadashi placed a hand on his back. "Now that you've confronted your motives, I think you'll figure it out tomorrow. Have some confidence in yourself."

Hiro said nothing. "I just want to go to bed right now…" he trailed off.

"Alright then." Tadashi gave him a few pats before getting up. "I'll let you rest up. You're gonna need all the sleep you can get, anyways. I shouldn't be keeping you up."

"No, thanks," Hiro said, looking up at him. "It helped," he nodded, pursing his lips. "It helped."

Tadashi smiled. "Anytime."

( 0—0 )

Hiro's eyes fluttered open slowly. Through the fabric of their tent, he could see that the sun was just rising over the horizon. He guessed a majority of the sky was still a light purple. Turning onto his other side, he saw Tadashi's arm hanging limp over the side of his cot. He was still asleep. Hiro watched his brother's body rise and fall gently, not wanting to get out from under his warm blankets. Then he remembered that he was supposed to talk to Aunt Cass today. With a slight groan, he buried himself deeper into his blankets, becoming even less motivated to leave his bed.

He jerked himself upright and dragged his unwilling limbs to obey him as he forced himself to roll out of bed and change his clothes. After he had wiped away his eye sand, he now felt fully awake. He glanced over at Tadashi, making sure he was still asleep before turning to walk out of the tent.

It was still very early. Hardly anybody was awake. It was pleasant, walking through the camp while it was quiet. When he came upon the kitchen canopy, he found Aunt Cass vigorously stirring batter, while four griddles cooked pancakes on her counter. She flipped some pancakes, shoveled some onto a platter, and poured new batter into the empty spots. Spreading pats of butter onto the fresh pancakes, she checked a griddle, where eggs were also sizzling over the heat.

"Isn't it early to be cooking?" Hiro asked.

Cass turned to see him, her face emotionless and a yellow, full-body apron tied around her waist. "Not when you're cooking for over three hundred people. Grab a spatula. Flip those pancakes on the left," she said as she cooked the eggs.

Obligingly, Hiro obeyed and flipped the pancakes. After he did, he grabbed a nearby pink apron and slung it over his shoulders, tying it around his waist. "Need help? I can stick around," he offered.

Cass gave him a sideways glance. "That…that'd be great, Hiro. Thank you. Oh, flip those pancakes there, or they'll burn!" she said and pointed.

"Got it!" Hiro cried quickly as he snatched a spatula, flipping the pancakes quickly. It wasn't long before he was covered in batter splotches and butter smears.

Cass laughed when she saw him. "Look at you! What have you been doing? You're supposed to flip the pancakes!"

"I'm trying!" Hiro protested, chuckling, glaring intently at his next victim. When he checked to see if the bottom of browned, he shoved the spatula underneath the pancake and flipped it in one swift motion. It sizzled as it landed perfectly. Hiro held out his hand, gesturing to the pancake. "See? I'm flipping pancakes!"

"Okay, okay!" Cass relented before shoveling scrambled eggs into a dish and cracking a fresh sunny-side up batch to replace it. "You watch the pancakes, I'll handle the sausage, bacon, and eggs. Okay?"

"Leave it to me," Hiro laughed, stacking pancakes on a platter. "Aren't these gonna get cold, though?" He asked as he set the platter on the counter.

"Nope!" Pointing, Cass gestured to the rows of tables on the other side of the hanging white tarp, where people were starting to fill the seats. It was obviously all the early birds. "Go! Get out there! Get pancakes for them while they're hot!" Cass ushered him past the tarp.

Standing awkwardly in the open with a plate of pancakes in his hands, Hiro gulped. It had been a while since he'd put his waiter skills to use. He wiped the stupid grimace off his face and replaced it with a smile.

( 0—0 )

With a puff, Aunt Cass leaned against the counter, wiping sweat from her brow. Hiro also took a seat on a nearby swivel stool. They looked at each other before letting a slight chuckle escape. "How about we feed the beast, Hiro?" Cass said and pulled out two plates.

"I dunno," Hiro joked as he slid off his stool. "There are so many people out there, do we even have any pancakes left?" he asked, stealing a glance at the masses of people eating on the other side of the tarp.

"Of course," Cass said and placed three buttered pancakes on her nephew's plate. "The eggs, sausage, and bacon are all gone, but we have pancakes."

"Thanks," Hiro murmured as he reached for the near empty syrup pitcher, popping the plastic lid open with his thumb and bathing his stack with a generous amount of liquid amber.

"Not that much! My goodness, that sweet tooth of yours!" Cass scolded, snatching the pitcher away before he could use any more.

Hiro ducked and licked his fingers before resuming his position on the stool. Grabbing a fork, he carved a bite and stuck it into his mouth. His stomach, which had been grumbling for the whole period of cooking, suddenly released its tension as the warm sensation filled his gut. With a moan of satisfaction, Hiro carved another bite. They ate pancakes in silence for a few minutes. The sun was now rising, brilliant orange beams infiltrating the canopy. With a quick swallow, Cass tried to laugh. "Well, that was fun! And mmm, these pancakes turned out wonderfully!" She set her empty plate in a plastic bin, marked in black sharpie 'dirty.' Hiro noticed her slowly plant her palms on the counter, trying to take in a breath.

He set his plate down quickly. "Aunt Cass, look, I just wanna say I'm—"

"No, no," Cass stopped him, holding up a hand. She sniffed. "It's okay." She nodded before grabbing a bottle of soap, squeezing a few squirts into the bin. She opened a nearby water jug, which held water purified with the filter, and poured it into the bin, setting to work on scrubbing the dishes and utensils. "It's just…this may be the last moment we have together…before you leave."

A small gut wrench made Hiro pause. Then he set his plate down, slid off his stool, and took up a position on the other side of the bin, facing Cass. Without hesitation, he grabbed a dish, crusted with dry syrup, and began to rub with his fingernails.

Cass straightened with chuckle. "Hiro, sweetie, why are you being so helpful, all of a sudden?" The tone in her voice betrayed the fact that she had not forgotten the afternoon before.

Hiro grabbed a nearby sponge and soaked it in the sudsy water, scrubbing the plate. "Because I don't want to go and leave you like this," he answered.

"Like what?" Cass asked, reaching for a dishtowel to dry her cleaned plate.

"Being resentful towards me for not coming to you first." Rinsing his clean plate in another bin filled with water, Hiro began to dry it. "I'm sorry I hurt you like that. And I know me fighting today is going to hurt you as well…but if I don't come back, I don't want your last memory to be of you having an argument with your nephew."

"Hiro, please," Cass murmured.

"Aunt Cass, I don't want to go when you're just letting me go because you don't want to fight with me. I want you to let me go because you can understand how I feel about it."

"And how _do_ you feel about it?"

"I…I feel like it's something I have to do."

"Why? To have your share of glory?"

"No! To prove to myself that I've grown!" Hiro protested. "That I'm not the boy I was before the Cybugs came! That all of this, everything that I've gone through, the thick and thin, has someone shaped me…into a better, stronger person." He sighed. "To prove to myself that I've changed, Aunt Cass."

"Changed…" She sampled the word on her tongue as she continued to clean dishes. "That you've grown into a man."

Hiro waved a hand. "I…suppose that's one way of looking at it. I can't hide behind the excuse that I'm 'too young' for much longer."

There was a small splash of water as Cass washed her scrubbed dish. "Fighting doesn't make you a man, Hiro. It's how you fight. There are other ways of fighting. Helping those in need. Building each other up. It's not all about guns."

"I know," Hiro sighed. "And I know fighting won't make me a man. But after seeing all the poverty and pain that I have, I can't just sit here and do nothing. I want to be one to make a move to exterminate the Cybugs. I want to play an active part." He licked his lips. "If I brought Bean Boozled to a party, it wouldn't be fair if I made my friends eat all the bad beans while I just cheered from the side. It doesn't work that way."

"A game about Jelly Beans is hardly a worthy comparison to a battle."

"Just take the idea."

With a sigh, Aunt Cass wiped her hands on a dish towel. "Hiro…"

"Can you…at least understand where I'm coming from?" Hiro pleaded.

Slowly, Cass turned and looked at him, her eyes holding a mellow expression. Hiro returned it with one of his own, trying not to look too eager. She let out a soft breath and placed the towel on the counter. "If my nephew is going into battle…you have to promise me you'll come back," she said in a soft voice.

Hiro's heart raced. He couldn't promise that. If he did, and he died, he would be inflicting so much pain on her. Still, he could see the open door for a peaceful conclusion. With a trembling breath, Hiro swallowed. "I promise, I'll come back, Aunt Cass." But if he was going to make a promise, he might as well keep it.

( 0—0 )

"Can you see them?" Vanellope asked.

Tadashi pulled out a pair of binoculars and peered through them. He was silent for a moment, looking out of the apartment window. The afternoon sun poured orange light into the room. He squeezed his eyes shut before lowering the binoculars. "…Yep."

"How many?"

Tadashi turned to give the girl a look. "Too many to count," he said sullenly.

With a shudder, Vanellope nodded, gripping her rifle. She swallowed a lump in her throat, her hands sweaty and her heart pounding.

They had been waiting in the upper room of a building farther away from the combat ever since morning. All they could hear were gunshots, screaming, and the other foreboding sounds of the skirmish that echoed in the distance. It was a constant reminder of what they would soon face. The abandoned room that used to be an office lobby was now crowded with people, young and old, all armed and anxious. Some sat in the remainder of dusty swivel chairs, waiting for the flare to call them out. As the time went by, the room only became more hushed.

Hiro looked over his shoulder to see the two talking, pausing his work on a frisbee-sized machine. He let his arms drop onto the table top, gently rattling some of the loose tools lying nearby. "We're in the reserves. If it makes you feel any better, we'll only be called out as a last resort," he said with a puff.

She groaned and leaned her head back. "That's what worries me. If we're called out, it means things are gonna be bad out there."

"Assuming you get called out," Tadashi added.

Vanellope gave him a look. "We're _going_ to get called, Tadashi."

Ignoring the conversation between the two, Hiro turned back to the machine on the table: his beacon. It looked much better than he expected for being rushed during the last several days. It was a little messy, it wasn't perfect, but it looked like it would work. Running his fingers through his bangs, he set down the screwdriver he had been holding, releasing his tense grip and flexing his hand. His hopes were getting high, but knowing how serious the situation was, he tried to suppress them. "What time is it, guys?" Hiro asked.

Nearby, Jordan looked up. "Sorry, dude, I don't have my watch."

"I do," Cadence called, glancing at her wrist. "4:48. Getting pretty close to 5 pm," she answered. After an abnormally loud gunshot echoed through the air, Cadence shuddered. " _I'm scared_ ," she barely whispered under her breath.

Next to her, Francis put a hand on her shoulder.

Hiro leaned down, eye to eye with the beacon, pressing the button on its middle. He waited for a glow from the vents bordering its body. A slow whir died with no glow. For the umpteenth time that day. Frustrated, Hiro hit the table with a growl. " _Come on_!"

"Hiro!" Tadashi called from where he stood. "Calm down."

Unresponsive, Hiro folded his arms on the table top and let his head fall into them. His tense fingers ran through his bangs again, clutching his scalp.

Vanellope looked over at him. "…Hiro?" she called quietly, an echoing gunshot accompanied by a scream.

Hiro sank even deeper, burying his head. Chest heaving anxiously, he shook his head. " _No._ " His voice was quiet and muffled.

"Hey, come on," said Tadashi as he approached his brother's side.

"I said _no._ "

Tadashi placed a hand on Hiro's back. "It's not the end of the world—"

In a burst of fury, Hiro snapped his head back as he thrust Tadashi's arm away. " _Leave me alone_!" he snapped angrily. His eyes were already shining and moist, his sweaty face furious and distraught. He pulled in a trembling breath, trying not to lose his mind. "Don't you understand?! _This beacon_ is the _only_ way to exterminate Cybugs _permanently_! The others out there are _relying_ on me! _Depending_ on me! To get this done! Without it, there is _no way_ to stop the Cybugs! _Can you hear what's going on out there_?! _It's_ hell _down there_! _People are DYING_! If I don't get this beacon done, _everybody could die_! _How can you say 'it's not the end of the world' to me_?!" Hiro cried, fighting back tears of aggravation, anger, and panic. Sobs racked his chest, his face flushing. He knew he was making a scene. He knew the others might look down on him for getting so emotional. At this point, it hurt more to suppress it than to let it out. Sniffing, he pushed his bangs out of his eyes, trying to regain his composure. "It's been several days. This has been the _only_ thing that I've worked on. I've spent _so much time_ on this, and I'm pressured, Tadashi. I have a time limit, and somebody dies every second I over step that limit. I—I can't—"

Tadashi quickly grabbed Hiro and pulled him into tight hug, saying nothing. Hiro grabbed him back, trying not to be too disgusting with his tears or snot on Tadashi's neck. "Hiro, listen to me."

"I don't think I can do it."

"Hiro."

"No."

"Hiro."

"I can't do it."

"Listen to me," Tadashi said as they pulled apart. "If it's too much for you, that's okay. That's fine. It's okay to admit that it's too much for you." He looked Hiro in his shining brown eyes. "You don't have to do it alone."

"Tadashi, you don't understand—"

"No, _you_ don't understand," Tadashi cut him off. "If you can't do it alone, then _call for help._ There's no shame or weakness in that. If it's too heavy a weight to carry by yourself, then share it. Nobody said you had to do this alone."

Hiro looked away. "With who?"

"Me."

Surprised, Hiro's tears stopped to let him look his brother in the eye again.

"I can help you with it. That's what we used to do together back then, right? Make machines and fix them?" Tadashi squeezed Hiro's shoulders.

"But…w-w-wait, n-no, wait, _no_ , you can't do that! You're leading the secondary! What happens if you get called?"

"I'll help you as long as I can."

Hiro as silent.

"Hey, Tadashi," Diana called from behind them. They both turned as she gave them a soft grin. "Pass the headband. I'll cover for you." She held out a hand.

With a grateful breath, Tadashi untied the headband from around his forehead and passed it to her. "Diana, thank you."

She only smiled as she tied the headband around her own forehead. "Don't mention it" Suddenly, a loud bang made everyone freeze. Out the window was a burning bright streak tearing through the sky. It was the flare, the signal that the next squad was needed. Tadashi and Diana looked at each other in near disbelief. Then the woman let out a laugh. "Just in time, hm?" She turned and addressed the group behind her. "ALRIGHTY! WAKE UP, WAKE UP! TIME TO _GO_!" she hollered at the top of her lungs, clapping her hands to get the attention of the already preparing crowd. "SECONDARIES! THAT'S OUR CALL! COCK YOUR GUNS AND TIGHTEN YOUR BELTS, WE'RE LEAVING IN 5 MINUTES! _MOVE! MOVE!_ " She clapped some more, and half the crowd stood up, men and woman, boys and girls surging towards the hall to the staircase. Diana watched them go before casting a glance at Jordan.

He quickly got up from his seat and jogged towards, wrapping his arms around her neck. "Stay safe, Di," he murmured, his voice muffled into the collar of her denim jacket.

She squeezed him back. "I'll do my best to make sure you guys aren't called," she murmured back. Then, pulling apart, she slung her rifle into her arms and was gone in the rush, leading them down the stairs. The thunderous noise of the footsteps still echoed through the building as the squad made their way down. And then, they were gone.

( 0—0 )

Listening to the sounds of conflict still hadn't become normal to Vanellope's ears. As she sat on the floor with her back against the wall, eyes squeezed shut, she could hear everything echoing. Chills crept over her skin as she thought about what was in store for them for the millionth time. Her fists clenched and she felt tears welling in her eyes. She didn't want to die. She was only a teen. Teens shouldn't have to fight in battles with gigantic robotic bugs, big guns, and the fear of losing someone close or themselves to death. Her head swam and her gut churned as she tried to mentally face her fear. But she couldn't.

For the first time in a while, she lifted her head and opened her eyes to see the Hamada bros still seated at the table, bent over repairing the beacon. They had been working silently for over an hour. The sight became slightly blurred when tears started to well in her eyes. She wanted someone to hold onto right now, somebody to take her gun from her and tell her that she wouldn't have to fight. But that wasn't the first fantasy reality had crushed that day. Glancing around, she saw Cadence and Francis, whose hands were firmly clasped together. She envied them.

Then, she saw Jordan pacing anxiously farther away, eyes intensely fixated on the floor. It then occurred to Vanellope that Diana had taken Tadashi's place in the last squad. Now, she felt guilty for worrying so much about her own life while Jordan worried about Diana's. It made her think about GoGo. Licking her lips, she opened her mouth. "H…h-hey, Jordan," she called quietly.

Jordan perked and turned her way. "Hm?"

Vanellope readjusted her position nervously. "Can…can you sit by me?"

Jordan looked surprised by the question, but he quickly recovered with a sad smile and walked over, sitting on the floor next to her. "What's up?" he asked, setting his rifle aside.

Vanellope now felt super embarrassed that she had asked. Her throat tightened as she grasped for words. "A-uh…you…looked pretty restless over there," she murmured.

With a sigh, Jordan leaned his head against the wall. "Yep."

"Is it Diana?"

"…Yep." Jordan pursed his lips. "I'm worried about her," he admitted quietly. "I know she's capable of handling herself, but…"

Vanellope nodded and listened. "Do…do you think it's bad to only be concerned about yourself…?"

"How do you mean?"

She bit her lip. "You're worried about Diana…somebody who's close to you. And…I'm just…I'm too scared about myself to worry about GoGo. Is…is that a bad thing? I feel selfish…" Vanellope hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms.

Jordan looked down at her and let out a slow breath. "Well…no. I don't think it is. Here, look at it this way. I'm scared, too. I'm scared enough to crap my pants. I wouldn't be surprised if I did. I'm not that brave."

"But instead of worrying about yourself, you're worrying about Diana."

"Eeeehh…" Jordan trailed off in an uncertain chuckle. "It's possible to worry about two people at the same time."

"But at least you're worrying about a loved one. I'm just…scared about myself, and not thinking about others." Vanellope rested her chin on her knees and sighed. "I feel bad."

For a moment, Jordan didn't know how to respond. He leaned his head back on the wall and thought for a little bit before sucking in a breath to speak. "Hey. Think of it this way. Would GoGo want you to worry about her?"

Vanellope furrowed her brows. "…N…no, she wouldn't."

"And I doubt Diana would want me to worry about her, either. So in a way, you're better off than I. I bet GoGo's worried about you, too."

"Heh, I doubt it."

"She's still your sister. She's the who was there for you when your parents died. I know she cares about you, but she's just a hecking tsundere." Jordan cocked his head to look at her with a small smile. "Just because you aren't worried about GoGo doesn't mean you don't care about her. There are other ways to express care then worrying."

"This is gonna sound awful again, but it doesn't feel _right_ to care about her," admitted Vanellope. "After everything she's done."

"Mmm, no, no, I get that," Jordan huffed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "But…don't you think she's just been…misguided? That everything she's done…she's done because she genuinely thought would lead to good?"

Vanellope didn't want to answer that one. Instead, she looked away.

"And if that's the case…doesn't that make her even more worthy of being cared about? She's so busy caring about others she doesn't really have anybody to care about her."

"'Caring about others?'"

"Tsundere."

Vanellope buried her face in her arms. "It's hard."

"I know it's hard."

"I don't want to."

"And I know you don't want to."

Vanellope responded only with a bitter silence.

With a grunt, Jordan pulled himself up off the floor. "I'll…let you be for a bit," he murmured under his breath as walked away, leaving her alone to brew over his words.

And brew she did. She thought about it so hard that she hardly heard Hiro let out a cry of relief and success over his completed beacon. She hardly heard the loud boom echo through the air and saw the fizzling, blinding flare go up into the dusk sky. As she stood and grabbed the rifle lying by her side, she let her thumb deactivate the safety button with a shuddering breath.

There was no time to think about it now.

 **HI GUYS I KNOW IT'S BEEN A WHILE BUT GUESS WHO'S STILL WRITING!  
**

 **WE AIN'T DEAD YET, PEEPS! THANK YOU FOR HANGING IN THERE! 33333 MUCH LOVE!**

 **\- kiwii-chan**


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